Covid-19 Delta outbreak: super results in Taranaki for Super Saturday

Amanda Holleman (16) got her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a pop-up clinic at Stratford Countdown on Saturday. Photo / Ilona Hanne

More than half of Taranaki is now fully vaccinated.

Over 80 per cent of people living in Taranaki have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination. This rises to 82 per cent with a first dose booked.

57 per cent of the region is now fully vaccinated, which rises to 75 per cent when booked second doses are taken into consideration.

This compares favourably with the national rate of 85 per cent for first doses and 65 per cent for fully vaccinated.

Taranaki Māori is currently sitting at 62 per cent for the first dose and 38 per cent for the second dose.

Bevan Clayton-Smith, Taranaki Covid-19 vaccination programme senior responsible officer, says these numbers are indicative of the hard mahi being done by vaccination teams across the programme.

"It also indicates the response of the Taranaki community to the urgent need to increase vaccination rates with Covid-19 breathing down our necks. We now need to maintain the momentum and not lose focus on the goal of exceeding 90 per cent by the end of the year."

Bevan says a key element of that focus will be working with Māori health providers to continue to improve vaccination rates in Māori communities across the district.

Locals were supporting locals in Stratford on Saturday, with Mr Kool's Heather Chisnall handing out ice creams free of charge at the Avon Medical pop-up vaccination clinic to support Super Saturday.

Currently, the south Taranaki district is leading the charge when it comes to Māori rates in Taranaki, with 60 per cent of first doses and 39 per cent of second doses administered there.

New Plymouth district sits at 59 per cent for the first dose, and 43 per cent for the second dose. Stratford District is 58 per cent for the first dose and 36 per cent for a second dose.

The response from the entire Taranaki community to Super Saturday was fantastic with 2894 people from across the rohe getting their jabs, 21 per cent of them Māori.

This put Taranaki above the national average of 3.8 per cent of the population for Māori receiving a vaccination, at 3.9 per cent.

Taranaki had the second-largest increase in the country last week, up 7.6 per cent with more than 1200 first doses, breaking the 60 per cent first dose milestone.

Vaccinations were administered at five GP clinics, nine pharmacies, one kindy, one rural clinic, and three mobile homes at four locations. The mobile homes were located at Warehouse Bell Block, Warehouse New Plymouth, New World Stratford, Countdown Stratford and Marine Parade, Waitara.

There were also two Tui Ora clinics, one Ngati Ruanui clinic and at the two main vaccination centres in New Plymouth and Hāwera.

There were numerous sausage sizzles and a pizza night, countless giveaways, free coffees, Taranaki rugby players, chocolate fish and DJs playing the top tunes.

Bevan says the entire Taranaki Covid-19 vaccination programme pulled out the stops to get out there and make getting vaccinated easier than before.

"This includes all our Taranaki DHB teams, on-boarded GP clinics and pharmacies and Māori partner-providers. It was wonderful to see Taranaki people stepping up to be vaccinated, coming to have their questions and concerns answered and generally joining in the party atmosphere. Ka pai"