"Much like our Edgar Centre pop-up vaccine clinic, we are driving the vaccination for our high-priority Māori and Pasifika peoples, but it is open to the general student population, too," Te Kaika chief executive Albie Laurence said.
Although the national Covid-19 vaccination rollout has only just started taking bookings for those aged 30-plus, the Delta strain of the virus which has sparked the current alert level 4 lockdown has proven to have a higher infection rate for younger people.
Pacific Island students association president Melissa Lama said Māori and Pasifika people were a high priority for the vaccine rollout but it felt as if the needs of Otago students had been ignored.
She and Te Roopu Māori president Karamea Pewhairangi were delighted they were able to work with Te Kaika on a solution.
"There is richness in having students involved in the solution for the students it's serving," she said.
Laurence said having vaccinated more than 8000 people in the past week, Te Kaika knew how to operate such a clinic, even under level 4 conditions.
"We aim to vaccinate 6000 students in two days. The walk-in clinic will focus on the many flat and residential hall 'bubbles' which do not have ready access to cars."
The student associations would assist Te Kaika by communicating with students and encouraging them to get vaccinated, he said.
