The 90% Project: Iwi-led vaccination clinic sees almost 90 per cent Māori turnout rate

An iwi-led vaccination clinic in Tauranga has been hailed a success, with 170 people getting the jab - 90 per cent of them Māori.

Ngāti Ranginui Iwi Society organised a Te Kupenga Hao vaccination drive-through event at Sulphur Point Marine Park at the weekend.

Chief executive Melanie Tata said there were more than 100 participants in the first hour of opening.

She was "humbled" by the response.

"The atmosphere was epic, plenty of smiling faces, the ice creams were flowing, music was playing and the ultimate vibe was whānau."

Tata said the event began with the Ratana band marching through the vaccination site, starting the day with karakia. There were also spot prizes and kaimoana vouchers.

Kotahitanga was the "word of the day", with iwi, marae, whānau, kaupapa Māori health providers and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board medical teams coming together with a common goal of getting vaccinated, she said.

Ngāti Ranginui Iwi Society made a "collective effort" with its fisheries, health and marae response teams to make access to the vaccine "a priority", Tata said.

"With the view of our maunga in the background at our Sulphur point site, our goal was to create a space for choice, opportunity and whānau."

Whānau had the chance to speak with a GP or nurse about the vaccination, she said.

When asked what she thought about Māori vaccination rates in the Bay of Plenty, she said the risk of transmission of Covid-19 was "high" due to the many recent positive cases being linked to Tauranga schools which were "central" to Māori communities.

Ngāti Ranginui Iwi Society chief executive Melanie Tata. Photo / Supplied

Ministry of Health data showed 82 per cent of Māori had received one dose, while 68 per cent were fully vaccinated in the Bay of Plenty DHB region.

Ngāti Ranginui Iwi was working with many Kaupapa Māori providers to provide access to information, advice and vaccination expertise.

"Much of our efforts have been to provide education, with space for healthy debate, to feel settled with a choice to vaccinate.

"Our strategy is based on 100 per cent vaccination within Tauranga Moana. We will continue to provide access to appropriate services to ensure our whānau receive Health resources designed for, and by, whānau.

"Our position as iwi is to ensure the strategies coming from within the Ministries are equitable and inclusive of our Māori whānau."

Poutiri Trust general manager Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford said some of the trust's vaccinators were at the event and "helped support the success of the day".

The trust wanted to make sure vaccination rates were "as high as they possibly can be", particularly with the Auckland border opening, and "wanting to make sure whānau are as protected as possible".

Bay of Plenty District Health Board Covid-19 senior response officer Brent Gilbert-De Rios said it was a "privilege" to support this iwi-led kaupapa, which provided a safe, trusted, whānau environment for all members of our hapori to access Covid-19 vaccinations.

The board supported the event by providing staff, resources and clinical support.