Covid-19 coronavirus: Volunteers needed for study and trial in Rotorua, push for Pacific vaccinations

A major push is underway to vaccinate Pasifika and Māori against Covid-19 with a vaccination night aimed at boosting numbers.

Meanwhile, medical practitioners are looking for about 10 Māori participants for a vaccine clinical study to ensure data specific to Kiwis is available.

The Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust is holding a Covid-19 Pasifika Vaccination Night alongside Lakes District Health Board and Owhata Medical Centre.

Owhata Medical nurse and Lakes Covid-19 vaccinator Nika Alefosio-Tuck said an event like this made getting the vaccination more inviting for the Pasifika community, by doing it in a Pasifika way.

She said it was about family and community and people would be able to speak their own languages.

"Don't be afraid to ask questions when you come in. We will talk you through it and I think we have a really cool team.

"There will be familiar faces, and the vaccinators are good at their job and talking people through what they are worried about.

"I think the more people that get vaccinated, the less fear there will be."

Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust manager Mata Mafileo encouraged the community to attend the free event.

She said having the support from Owhata Medical Centre and Lakes DHB was fantastic.

"We can't do it by ourselves.

"We encourage people to come on in and get vaccinated Pasifika style with family, friends and food."

She said they would also offer transport and childcare would be available.

The study will provide information on how our unique population responds to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Photo / Getty Images

Lakeland Trials has been recruiting people for Ka Mātau, Ka Ora (from knowledge comes wellbeing), a clinical study in Rotorua and Christchurch. It already has about 150 participants but needs 10 more Māori participants.

The clinical study is being led by te Government-funded Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (VAANZ), run by the Malaghan Institute in Wellington and carried out by Lakeland Clinical Trials Rotorua.

Lead investigator Dr Mike Williams from Lakeland Trials said in simple terms the worldwide dataset on Covid-19 vaccination response did not include New Zealand or many Polynesian or Māori specifically.

The study looks to build that dataset by doing blood tests on participants before they get the Pfizer vaccine and one, six and 12 months afterwards to ensure their immune response is what it is expected to be.

Williams said the study was looking for about 10 more Māori participants of any age who had not started the vaccine process.

"[The study] will give us data set across the country that will still be able to be analysed for new Covid variants and determine the selection of new Covid vaccines," he said.

"It's incredibly valuable."

Fran Priddy, clinical director of VAANZ at the Malaghan Institute, said it was important for New Zealand to have its own local data on the vaccine and immune responses to it.

"We don't expect to find a huge difference but it's important to have that data."

She said more Māori participants were needed to ensure the data was comprehensive.

According to the Ministry of Health's latest data, Lakes District Health Board had administered 54,195 vaccinations as of August 1.

Nationwide, 77,533 Māori had received two doses, compared with 565,040 European/other.

To sign up to the Ka Mātau, Ka Ora clinical study, email info@lakelandtrials.com.

The Pasifika vaccine event is for anyone aged 16 and over and is on August 23, from 5pm to 7pm at the Rotorua Covid-19 Immunisation Hub, with follow-up vaccinations on September 13.

To book, call 0800 28 29 26, email covid.imms@lakesdhb.govt.nz with your name, birth date and contact number, or call the trust on (07) 347 7217.