National deputy leader Dr Shane Reti was in Opononi when the announcement was made for the Far North to move into level 3 restrictions.
He told Checkpoint "it will be a struggle" for the region to get to 90 percent vaccinated.
"If we look at the baseline - those children under two where the parents have said 'do not vaccinate them' and have taken them off the register - if we use that as a proxy for what they might want for themselves... I suspect it's about 15 percent."
Reti does not think 90 percent is impossible but said it will be hard.
"As we weigh things up just remember, an hour ago all through Northland all the communities were at the pub watching the Melbourne Cup."
He said it was crowded at the Opononi Pub where he was.
