Latest Ministry of Health statistics show the SDHB at 114% ahead of plan, having administered about 9000 more jabs than budgeted for.
As of June 27, just over 30,000 Southerners were fully vaccinated against the pandemic disease and just over 48,000 had received at least one shot.
SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming, in a report to be considered by the board today, said two-thirds of vaccinations had been dispensed in Dunedin or Invercargill, and that an increasing numbers of shots were being given by rural GPs.
"We have begun a soft launch into tier 3 [over 65s and people at risk of getting very ill from Covid-19] as we are restricted by the Ministry of Health from publicly advertising to tier 3 to align with the national messaging.
The SDHB published a report showing several thousand local healthcare and border workers are fully vaccinated. Almost 1000 workers at ports and airports were now protected, plus 5194 primary healthcare workers, 4269 secondary healthcare workers, and almost 3000 aged residential care employees.
Of the population aged over 50, 7.3% of Southerners were now fully vaccinated, those aged 85+ (12.7%) having the highest coverage rate.
People of Asian ethnicity had the highest vaccination rate thus far, 10.4%, followed by "other" (10%), European (7.4%), Pacific people (5.8%) and Maori (4.48%).
The SDHB partnered with several Maori and Pacific health providers to try improving its vaccination programme equity. New clinics opened the week the data was collected.
The SDHB had contacted all people in mental health residential services and supported by disability residential support services to discuss vaccination options.
He expected all people dwelling in aged residential care in Invercargill, Dunedin, Central Otago and the lake towns to have been fully vaccinated by the end of June.
