Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and Manurewa Marae CEO Takutai Kemp at the launch of ShotCuzz, a bus designed to make vaccination more accessible in the South Auckland community. Video / Michael Craig
Hot on the wheels of Shot Bro, another Covid "vaxi taxi" hit the streets of South Auckland this week..
Manurewa Marae has launched Shot Cuzz, a mobile vaccination bus service that hopes to make it easier for more members of the community to get Covid-19 jabs.
Manurewa Marae chief executive Takutai Kemp said the bus would build upon the marae's experience of operating a vaccination centre.
Manurewa Marae has vaccinated more than 30,000 people against Covid since April "We are taking the vaccinations on the road to the people to make it more accessible to our community," Kemp said.
"We are encouraging all people and especially our Māori and Pacific cuzzies to come to the Shot Cuzz bus to get vaccinated."
Behind the scenes at the vaccine centre at Manurewa Marae, Hilda Peters, site manager (left), Rangi McLean and Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, the marae CEO. Photo / Alex Burton
Shot Cuzz will be parked at the Clendon Park, Pak'nSave car park this Tuesday and Wednesday and Southmall, Weymouth Rd entry, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
The first set of Covid-19 vaccine buses – nicknamed Shot Bro - hit the streets of South Auckland last week.
Officials said in half a day on Thursday, one bus did 150 jabs. They estimate a bus can do up to 300 vaccines a day.
The buses are part of a push to drive up the country's vaccination rate.
On Sunday, over 53,000 people got a jab – meaning 38.1 per cent of eligible New Zealanders are fully vaccinated and 35 per cent have had one dose.
Last Friday, the NZ Herald and publisher NZME launched The 90% Project, a venture aiming to get at least 90 per cent full vaccination against Covid-19 in our eligible population by Christmas.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer said while they supported the ambition of a target of over 90 per cent they were concerned about the potential for vulnerable and under-privileged groups to be left behind.
For example, the Māori are still being vaccinated at a rate of about 60 per cent of non-Māori. The rate is even lower in certain parts of the country including Taranaki and Northland.
The younger age profile also meant there were more Māori aged under 12 proportionately, who are currently unable to be vaccinated (although overall younger age groups are seen to be of lower risk from Covid-19).
"If we had designed an equitable system from the start we wouldn't be having these problems," Ngarewa Packer said.
"But if we are going to set targets and aim to open up from there then those targets need to match and surpass that in our highest risk groups and areas."
Meanwhile, Waipareira has been out and about today to encourage whānau who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jab.
Waipareira CEO John Tamihere said the low Māori uptake to vaccinations required new approaches.
"Our community is the driver of what needs to happen and going into the community on buses to vaccinate, is one way to get to our people," Tamihere said.
"We went to the Ranui Caravan Park for a trial run on Thursday and were very pleased with the number of whānau who came to be vaccinated.
"Of the 50 odd residents, the majority wanted, and were vaccinated. That was encouraging, and showed our whānau were not afraid of getting vaccinated but through difficult circumstances could not get to a vaccination centre.
"Going to them in their hoods is one way to solve that issue."
Waipareira will also be rolling out a trial saliva testing programme.
"We took a number of saliva tests from around 25 residents of the caravan park and all came back negative within a 12-hour turnaround, which is also another encouraging sign," Tamihere said.
