January 24, 2022
Marae still tracking down unvaxxed
The Chief Executive of South Auckland’s Manurewa Marae says there has been a steady trickle of people coming in for their first vaccination shot even before the weekend’s Omicron shock.
Takutaimoana Natasha Kemp says vaccination is key to keeping Māori safe if the latest variant of the Covid-19 virus takes hold in the community.
The marae has been seeing up to 60 people a day needing a first shot, and steady demand for second shots and boosters.
“We know there is hesitancy out there with our whānau but what we are saying is ‘Amohia ake te ora o te iwi, ka puta ki te whei ao’ – the health and wellbeing of our people is paramount and we are here as a marae to manaaki, to awhi those whānau, those matua who want to have korero and we can do that here daily on the marae,” she says.
Ms Kemp says most whānau coming in are not hesitant but have made a decision to come in as whānau and bring their tamariki and mokopuna to be vaccinated.
A special Ratana event yesterday dosed 338 arms.
Around the country, there were almost 3399 first dose vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11, compared with 527 first doses for 12 and overs, 852-second doses and 21,318 boosters.