Covid 19 Omicron: Chris Hipkins compares modelling with weather forecasts - 'I've always been sceptical'. Video / Newstalk ZB
Māori health providers in Tāmaki Makaurau are joining forces to boost tamariki wellbeing ahead of an expected Omicron surge.
Alongside Covid vaccination, families can access free eye and ear tests, dental checks and any outstanding immunisations for their children across four sites tomorrow between 9am and 3.30pm.
The providers are Papakura Marae, Turuki Health Care, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei - Whai Māia.
It's the latest evolution of the successful Got ya Dot campaign which endeavoured to raise vaccination levels for young Māori in Tāmaki.
Esme Ropati (back) and brother Ezra Ropati received their first vaccination at South Seas Healthcare's Rally your Village vaccination event last weekend. Photo / Michael Craig
Named He Tau Ira - Year of Ira (dot), tomorrow would be the first of many events looking to improve the overall health of Auckland children.
"We just want families to be a lot more prepared and we're trying to get people to think about broader health outcomes just as much as Covid-19," Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia chief executive Rangimarie Hunia said.
"This starts to shift the discussion from reacting to Covid, to living with Covid, to beyond Covid."
Hunia noted the anxiety many whānau felt with tamariki returning to schools and what risk that posed as Omicron cases grew.
Last week, the Herald revealed troubling patterns of inequity in Auckland's 5- to 11-year-old vaccine rollout, with Māori and Pasifika levels less than half those of other ethnicities.
Hunia hoped tomorrow's events would encourage more Māori and Pasifika whānau to look into vaccination.
"I think solutions like this where we are focusing on choice, focusing on holistic solutions, this is what we're hoping will provide a lot more comfort for families."
Nationally, 40 per cent of 5- to 11-year-olds have had one dose of the paediatric vaccine, well ahead of Māori and Pasifika children levels at 22 and 29 per cent respectively.
A total of 209 community Covid cases were announced today, 99 of them in Auckland.
Today also saw about one million Kiwis become eligible for their booster dose as the advised gap between the second dose and booster was reduced from four months to three.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits the new vaccination centre at the Cloud in Tamaki Makaurau. Photo / Alex Burton
Auckland community vaccination centres visited by the NZ Herald today were relatively quiet, despite urges from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for those newly eligible to get boosted.
Pakuranga pharmacist Vicky Chan said demand for boosters had spiked in the last two weeks, which saw the pharmacy administer up to 300 vaccinations per day.
With more primary care providers able to vaccinate, Chan said Aucklanders had many more options than at earlier periods of the outbreak.
However, she expected demand to be consistent as Omicron made its presence known.
"I think it will be steady, especially with [Omicron] being in the community."
Pakuranga pharmacist Vicky Chan. Photo / Michael Craig
There was a significant uptick in boosters administered in Auckland today. About 10,700 had been done by 1pm, compared to about 7000 yesterday.
About 65 per cent of eligible Aucklanders had been boosted, slightly fewer than the national level of 71 per cent. Both figures were expected to change given the increase in eligible Kiwis today.
Auckland vaccination programme clinical lead Dr Anthony Jordan said the increase was likely linked to more people becoming eligible.
Jordan noted more people were heading to their GP or pharmacy for vaccination due to ease of access and the security of an appointment.
He said the programme's community vaccination centres would remain, but there would be an increase of more localised events to reach whānau who were less engaged with the health system.
Jordan cited Manurewa Marae's street-by-street approach and South Seas Healthcare's weekend events at churches as examples.
"That's where we've seen reach that we might not have seen in other programmes."
Jordan was confident such events would bring Māori and Pasifika vaccination levels closer to the national average.
