Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Hawke's Bay Pasifika community vaccination rates among NZ's highest

Anne Baxter, a registered nurse vaccinator at the HBDHB, gives Ina John the Covid vaccination. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay's Pasifika community has one of the highest Covid vaccine take-ups in New Zealand.

On Thursday, the region was closing in on vaccinating 30 per cent of the Hawke's Bay population.

A total of 71,649 people had received their first dose, and 39,461 had received their second dose of Covid vaccine.

But 60 per cent of the Pasifika population had received at least their first dose.

The drive-through clinic at Kings House Church in Maraenui vaccinated more than 550 people on Thursday and another clinic was held at the Cook Island Centre in Flaxmere on Friday.

Pacific Health team leader at Hawke's Bay DHB Talalelei Taufale said if the Delta variant of Covid hit the region, the Pasifika community would be the worst impacted.

"The reality is many Maori and Pasifika people work essential jobs, and many also lose their jobs during lockdown," he said.

"We have larger families, and a communal sense of living, which lends itself to a significantly higher chance of the virus spreading, and Delta is more contagious, and spreads faster.

"There is international evidence that the indigenous community is impacted the most, when Covid hits our community."

Gail Wilson, HBDHB logistics lead vaccine rollout, and Talalelei Taufale, the pacific health manager HBDHB, at the Cook Island centre in Flaxmere at a drive-in clinic. Photo / Paul Taylor

Taufale said the rates of vaccination within the Pasifika community in the region, made Hawke's Bay DHB one of the leading DHB's regarding Pasikifa vaccination rates.

"We are very pleased with the vaccination rates, the per cent for the Pasifika population is very good," Taufale said.

"It shows that everything we put into play around managing Covid in the last lockdown, is working in this one."

He said foundations to effectively manage a Covid outbreak were laid in 2020.

"We strengthened our connection with Pacific leaders last lockdown, we had a number of face-to-face huis this year, and community events.

"We demystified some of the hesitancy around the vaccine itself, and debunked some of the myths. And that has all helped the uptake on the vaccine."

He said there were vaccination clinics set up in Maraenui and Flaxmere for Pasifika community and RSE workers and food and coffee was provided for all who got their vaccine.

"That just falls within our values and systems," Taufale said.

"We have a strong Pacific team of nurses and staff, forming our Covid team, as well as Maori health and community leaders and primary carers.

"Having a Pacific team helps with the language barriers. And the DHB prioritising Maori and Pacific helps."

There are 6500 Pacific people in the region, and 5000 RSE workers.

He said the goal for vaccination this week was to reach a total of 1000 Pacific people and RSE workers.

"We would like to achieve these targets sooner rather than later."

Hawke's Bay DHB chief executive Keriana Brooking at a media stand up for Covid vaccine introduction in March. Photo / Warren Buckland

He reiterated the lockdown rules for people wanting to get vaccinated including staying within your bubbles, and bringing only whanau 12 and up, and only go to the clinics if you are feeling well.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi deputy chair and Hawke's Bay DHB cultural advisor, JB Heperi-Smith, previously said he was encouraged about the Maori and Pasifika communities vaccination rates.

"The power is in our hands to beat Covid, not let Covid beat us," he said.

"I was one of the first people to be vaccinated and I'm proud to help lead the way and show my whānau, hapū and iwi it's safe to get vaccinated and so you protect not only yourself but your whānau."

Help was also close at hand for the Pasifika community struggling through the lockdown with Tautai Pasefika and Kainga Pacifica service providing food vouchers.

"We helped 368 individuals in the Pasifika community on Wednesday, and since lockdown we have helped 162 families, and more than 400 individuals," said Tautai Pasefika's Faleniu Leota Lagaaia.

"We want to help our people and we are here for them. That said, if someone who is not from our community comes to us for help, we won't turn them away."