The 90% Project: Mobile clinic taking vaccine directly to Māori in Canterbury

Legion Tahana waits for his jab with his family at the clinic in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. Photo / George Heard

A mobile vaccination team set up to connect directly with Māori in Canterbury has administered more than 3000 doses.

The Mihi Maori Mobile Vaccine Clinic is a collaboration between the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (Mihi), University of Otago (Christchurch), Mana Whenua Ki Waitaha, and the Canterbury District Health Board.

The team of 12 staff has been operating since late last month and Dr Maira Patu says as well as boosting vaccination rates, it is offering a different service for the community.

Staff preparing vaccines as part of the MIHI mobile clinic in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. Photo / George Heard

All the staff are Māori, te reo is used when possible and the clinic is set up at marae or kura.

"We know with immunisations in the past, it hasn't worked for Māori and has failed Māori actually. We pretty much guessed the roll-out of this vaccine would be the same and it has.

"It has been a real privilege to be vaccinating, especially Māori. Our team is loving getting out in the community," she said.

The Paris family were the first into the clinic at Te Kura Whakapūmau, a school in Christchurch's St Martins, on Friday.

Beulah Paris told the Herald she had decided to make the trip because she is a teacher.

"I don't think it would be the best idea if I went back in and was unvaccinated so I'm doing it for my own personal health reasons but just to make sure everyone feels comfortable around me as well."

Her brother, Isileili Paris, said his choice had a lot to do with the people around him.

"I just thought, because everyone else was doing it, I'd come in and get it done. I didn't want to think later, oh it's too late," he said.

The family used to go to the school where the clinic was set up, making it even easier for them, mother Sipola Paris said.

"It's important when they come into our communities, especially the option of speaking te reo, that's a big big thing for us," she said.

Terina Hutana gets her vaccine in Christchurch on Thursday. Photo / George Heard

Terina Hutana said it was not an easy decision for her to make but after weeks of research, she decided to get the vaccine with her family.

"We have a history of asthmatic kids, just watching them going on a nebuliser was hard enough. If we were to catch anything, having to go through what everyone has gone through, it would be absolutely heartbreaking.

"We don't like to live with 'should've would've couldve's'. We want to do everything that we can do," she said.

Maia Melbourne-Wilcox draws up the vaccine. Vaccinations for Maori were held at Te Kura Whakapūmau in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon. Photo / George Heard

Professor Suzanne Pitama is a vaccinator on the team and said it has been going well.

"It's been really lovely to be able to administer the vaccine to places that are kinda central to our Māori community and where the Māori community feel levels of high trust and safe in those environments."

She said they always make sure to have clinical expertise on-site so people can ask questions.

"What we've found is a lot of rangatahi especially have more questions about the vaccine and are wanting to really understand it for themselves.

"That's also been really helpful to help people be confident to make informed consent and having the space to be able to ask questions."