Fight For Your Whakapapa vax campaign comes to Kaitaia

One of four Fight For Your Whakapapa mobile clinics take to the streets of Kaitaia. Photo / Myjanne Jensen

Happy tunes blasting from white cars donning "Fight For Your Whakapapa" could be heard throughout Kaitaia yesterday as part of a large Māori-led vaccine campaign.

A "battalion" of 70 Māori health providers from Auckland's Te Whānau o Waipareira, joined local Whānau Ora health providers and partners to encourage whānau to get vaccinated.

Four large green mobile clinics were located at four separate locations (Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro, The Northerner, Allen Bell Dr and Bonnetts Rd), with a flotilla of cars with loudspeakers roaming the streets of Kaitaia urging people to get involved.

The Northland campaign started on Monday in the Hokianga, before making its way to the Far North yesterday.

The initiative is aimed at helping boost Māori vaccination rates in Northland, which are some of the lowest in the country.

The vibe in Kaitaia yesterday was electric, with the morning starting with a powerful pōwhiri (welcome) for the kaimahi (workers) at Te Hiku Hauora (Kaitaia Hospital), before the team hit the roads and dispersed across town.

Te Whānau o Waipareira regional engagement and communications lead, Tamati Taurere, said they were hoping to vaccinate at least 1000 people in one day.

"This is quite a bit different to what we did in Hokianga which had lots of farmland- here it's more of a direct approach because we can go down every street," Taurere said.

"We're trying to reach some of our more isolated whānau from the system and to let them know it's not a 'must', the kaupapa for this is 'whakapapa'- protecting your whānau.

"The collaboration we've had with Te Hiku Hauora, Ngāti Kahu Iwi Social Services, Ngāti Kahu Trust Board and Te Rarawa has just been amazing.

"This is by no means us coming here to do anything better, we're just here to support them and to bring noise!"

Māori who decided to get the jab were given a $150 Pak'nSave voucher and also went into the draw to win an iPhone 13.

ANT (Aupōuri Ngāti Kahu Te Rarawa) Trust's social services arm, Open The Curtains (OTC) was also giving away $100 Pak'nSave vouchers, which they will continue to do for anyone getting the jab in November.

OTC community liaison officer Moana Erickson said it was exciting to be a part of yesterday's event and looked forward to giving away more vouchers in the coming weeks.

"We are not here to vaccinate, we are here to give away Pak'nSave vouchers to anyone who can prove they have received the vaccine in the month of November," Erickson said.

"All people have to do is front up here at 60 North Rd, Kaitaia with their Covid-19 vaccine card to receive the voucher.

"There are a lot of whānau struggling at the moment and this is just a small something that can help."

OCT workers will be at the site every day between 10am and 4pm until the end of November, with the view of opening until 6pm on Thursdays.

Tomorrow the Fight For Your Whakapapa entourage will head south where they will be stationed in Kaeo, Waipapa, Waitangi and Kawakawa.

Out of the 50,488 Northland Māori population, 71 per cent have received their first dose of the vaccine, with only 53 per cent having received both doses.