Rotorua Boys' High School nurse Ebony Wait, with head boy Reagan Nicholson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Boys' High School nurse Ebony Wait, with head boy Reagan Nicholson. Photo / Andrew Warner
A Covid-19 vaccination clinic will be held at Rotorua Boys' High School this week in an effort to boost jab rates among students, staff and whānau in the community.
School principal Chris Grinter said the school was striving to meet the 90 per cent vaccination target, including staff and students.
The Lakes District Health Board's team would administer vaccines on school grounds this Friday and on December 3.
Grinter said many students were "vulnerable" to health issues and he was conscious that the Lakes "lags a little bit in terms of vaccination rates".
"We want to make our school a safe place for our students and give our students every opportunity to protect themselves against this virus."
Grinter said the decision to host two clinics was a "good move" for the school and hoped it would help the community become fully vaccinated.
"We want to give our students every possible chance of being strong and healthy and able to achieve well in school and in their education generally.
"I've received both vaccinations and I'm ready for my third. I wanted to take every opportunity to avoid getting sick or hospitalised should I contract Covid."
Rotorua Boys' High School head boy Reagan Nicholson decided to get vaccinated months ago to help protect himself and his grandparents, who live with underlying health conditions.
He said he would do "anything" he could to help them improve their health.
Nicholson believed the school clinic was a "good idea" as some students hadn't yet had the opportunity to get the vaccine and he encouraged his peers and the wider community to get vaccinated.
"If not for your health, then for the health of your family and your friends. Keep safe throughout the community, and get Covid out of our country."
A Lakes DHB spokesperson said it was working with the Ministry of Education and "a few" large local high schools to offer vaccine options.
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter. Photo / NZME
The DHB was "keen" to deliver the clinics to other schools in the region to make getting vaccinated as "easy as possible".
No other school vaccination clinics had been organised in the area, however any similar events would be posted on the DHB Facebook page.
Last week, the Government announced all teachers and other staff in contact with children at schools or early learning centres must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by January 1, with a first dose by November 15.
Grinter previously said while the announcement came "out of the blue", he personally supported the promotion of vaccination.
He expected "a minority" of staff would not be happy with the decision, but the majority would understand the need to lift vaccination rates.
