More than 75 per cent of Kiwis aged over 16 say they are likely to get the Covid vaccine, or have already received a jab, Chris Hipkins says.

"Ministry of Health research from April shows 77 per cent of New Zealanders aged 16 years and over say they are likely to get a vaccine or have already received a vaccine. This compares to 69 per cent in March," the Covid-19 Minister said.

Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, three weeks apart, are required for protection from the virus, which has killed 3.4 million people - including 26 Kiwis - since the pandemic began 18 months ago.

Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield has previously declined to put a figure on what number of Kiwis would need to be vaccinated for the country to reach herd immunity, but the percentage has previously been estimated at about 70 per cent of the population.

A previous survey released by the ministry in April and based on 1400 people who responded to online surveys showed 69 per cent said they were likely to take the vaccine.
One in five respondents said they were unlikely to take a vaccine if offered, and 9.4 per cent say they will "definitely not", with most citing concerns about long-term effects and safety.

A Medsafe report last month into adverse events showed no potential safety issues with the Pfizer vaccine, which has been chosen by the Government - and signed-off by the Ministry of Health's regulatory authority - to vaccinate Kiwis aged 16 and over.

This week, Hipkins announced a $1.4 billion vaccination fund over two years to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are free for all Kiwis.

The first jabs have been given to border workers, frontline medical staff, older and vulnerable South Aucklanders, with the rollout moving to over 65s and people with certain medical conditions this month.

The general population rollout is expected to begin in July and take the rest of the year.