Māori king Tūheitia receives first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

The Māori king has received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine today.

The moment the 65-year-old received the jab was livestreamed to thousands over social media this morning.

King Tūheitia is the first prominent Māori leader to receive the vaccine in a bid to encourage others in the community to follow suit.

“It’s a significant day today, after considering information available from the Ministry of Health, Kiingi Tūheitia made the decision to have this vaccine,” Tūheitia’s chief of staff Archdeacon Ngira Simmonds said on the livestream.

“We are encouraging all our whanau to get informed, to read the information, to talk to health experts and make a good decision about the health of yourself and your family.”