Māori have achieved the goal of being 90 per cent partially vaccinated across Aotearoa, the Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement on Friday afternoon.
It comes after several months of lagging behind Pākehā vaccination rates.
Equity Group Manager at the ministry's Immunisation Programme, Patricia Joseph, said, "this is a significant accomplishment that should be celebrated, and speaks to the commitment Māori have to whānau and wider communities”.
“With Omicron now in our communities, the mahi continues, and we don’t stop at 90 per cent first doses.
"We want as many Māori as possible to get double dosed and boosted to ensure those in all our communities have the best protection possible," she said.
Joseph asks people to encourage their whānau and friends to get vaccinated and to get the booster as soon as they're eligible.
She said two doses were effective for Delta, but to beat Omicron, boosters are essential.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a five-stage plan for the country to reopen its borders. The first stage would allow New Zealand citizens and residents to travel from Australia on February 27 at 11.59pm.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she was worried about what eased border restrictions would mean for Māori and those who were vulnerable.
Last month, researchers told 1News they feared Māori would bear the brunt of an Omicron outbreak because the group’s vaccination coverage was lagging and many were not yet eligible for a booster.
To date, 116,557 Māori have had their booster, which is around 42 per cent of those due.
There were 209 community cases of Covid-19 recorded on Friday in New Zealand.
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