Rotorua Pasifika leaders are looking at ways to take Covid-19 shots directly to unvaccinated community members after a weekend event had several no-shows.
The Pasifika vaccination event was held on Saturday at the Immunisation Hub at Central Mall.
From 40 bookings, 25 people came to get vaccinated.
According to Ministryof Health data, as of November 23, the Lakes District Health Board needed to vaccinate 68 more Pacific Islanders to reach a 90 per cent first dose rate and administer 350 second doses to reach a 90 per cent fully vaccinated rate.
Mata Mafileo, Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust manager, understood that some people could not make their bookings and said she was not disheartened.
Nurses at Pasifika event. Photo / Supplied.
"We will still push for our community to get vaccinated.
"The next option for us is, for those who haven't been vaccinated, we can organise for the team to go to them," said Mafileo.
"Our aim now is to push for that 90 per cent, for those who didn't turn up on the day to arrange a good time for them to take the service out to the community."
Lakes DHB Chief Operating Officer Alan Wilson said: "Pasifika is very close in reaching 90 per cent first doses and we know there is work being done within the community by the Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust to actively encourage others to be vaccinated if they choose to."
A vaccination event run by a Rotorua tourism operator on Sunday resulted in 62 doses being administered.
Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa general manager Paul Rayne said the drop-in vaccination event was "awesome".
The attraction offered free entry to its geothermal walk and sulphur spas and afternoon tea to anyone who received their first or second dose at the event.
Rayne said higher vaccination rates would "allow as much freedom as possible". He had hoped Rotorua would not be moved into red under the new traffic light system, but this would not come to pass, with the Government announcing yesterday that the district would be among those starting in red.
Lakes DHB'S Wilson said it was great to see local operators working alongside the DHB.
Between several weekend vaccination events in the Lakes, 1,201 doses were administered in total, with 396 of those being first doses.
The Lakes DHB was yesterday sitting at 88 per cent for first doses and 78 per cent fully vaccinated.
"We need 2,500 more people to have their first doses, which is urgent now if they want to get their Covid passport before Christmas – as they need 21 days between doses," Wilson said.
Wilson advised that anyone who got their first vaccination this week could be fully vaccinated by Christmas.
Rawiri Waititi and staff on Saturday. Photo / Supplied.
With the traffic light system in effect from Friday, he said "those who are double vaccinated will have access to restaurants, gyms and get-togethers that others won't".
He said the DHB was working alongside Te Arawa Covid-19 Hub, Tuwharetoa Health Charitable Trust and Pihanga Health, to provide daily opportunities for communities to be vaccinated.
