Pride Whanganui trustee Christina Emery says anyone is welcome to this weekend's clinic. Photo / Bevan Conley
Pride Whanganui trustee Christina Emery says anyone is welcome to this weekend's clinic. Photo / Bevan Conley
Pride Whanganui and the Whanganui District Health Board are coming together this weekend to host a Covid-19 vaccine clinic.
While it's aimed towards the city's rainbow community, Pride Whanganui trustee Christina Emery said anyone who is supportive of it is welcome to come along.
"A lot of people have showninterest in getting it done," Emery said.
"Some have even said they'd been waiting for the Pride clinic to happen before they got vaccinated."
Emery said previous Pride vaccine clinics in Kapiti and Levin had been well received.
"It's about creating that space where people feel safe, where they are going to be called the correct name without any issues, and where they can have an open and honest conversation.
"If you haven't had the jab and you have questions, come along and have a chat to the DHB staff and the nurses.
"The nurses are absolutely lovely. All they want to do is put the correct information out there. If that doesn't result in you getting the vaccine they aren't going to force you."
Many members of the rainbow community were battling with anxiety already, and the idea of the clinic was to minimise any additional vaccine stress, Emery said.
The Whanganui DHB has printed out cards where people can write their preferred pronouns and correct name.
"People can come and be themselves, surrounded by people who understand and aren't going to make life difficult.
"When I went to get my vaccine, it didn't feel like there was someone there who I could talk to about it. You go to the line, you get a number, you sit down, you get your jab."
Those chats would be available at the Pride clinic, Emery said.
