September 16, 2021
Vax buses take on social media ‘rubbish’
The first vaccination buses go out across South Auckland today seeking out vulnerable communities – but one Auckland councillor is warning more effort may be needed to get young people to get a jab.
Alf Filipaina says it’s a good step for whānau and ‘aiga who may not have transport or time to get to a vaccination centre.
But he says overcoming the influence of social media on young people could be tough.
“I say to them ‘you need to get vaccinated because it’s for you and also for your whānau and especially your nanny papa, nanny mama and the elderly.’ They’re not going to listen to me, but listening to some of the social media rubbish that is on there, that is what is getting our community and our whānau in hospital and spreading this delta variant. That’s what is happening and it’s wrong,” he says.
Māori now make up 10 per cent of the delta outbreak, including nine of yesterday’s 15 cases.
Almost 72 per cent of the 970 cases are Pasifika and 8.8 per cent are Asian.