Te Arawa Covid Hub takes a different approach with Don't Duck the Vax event

A chance appearance at a vax event has won a mum of two the choice of an iPhone 12 Pro Max, 55" Smart TV or a MacBook Air.

Te Arawa Covid Hub held the Don't Duck the Vax event in Western Heights on Thursday afternoon, giving away duck boat rides, sausage sizzle, real fruit icecream, and a lucky dip to those receiving their first or second vaccination dose.

The iconic Duck Tours boat cruised the Western Heights streets getting the attention of unvaccinated locals.

"We administered 20 vaccinations during the event and were thrilled with the level of community engagement we had. Every vaccination we give is another line in our defence against Covid-19 so every single one counts," nurse Mary McLean said.

Yvonne Rogers (left) and Mary Mclean (right) at Thursday's Don't Duck the Vax event. Photo / Andrew Warner

Three golden tickets were given to people receiving the vaccine. They got to choose from an iPhone 12 Pro Max, 55" Smart TV or a MacBook Air while others won activity and retail vouchers.

The first golden ticket winner of the day, Brierley Paki, got her first dose of the vaccine so her daughter Maraea, 3, could join the neighbourhood fun.

She unexpectedly won an iPhone 12 Pro Max.

"It was so worth it, I don't want to go home now."

Paki said it was great to have different incentives to encourage the community to get vaccinated.

Paki's daughter saw the duck boat driving around their neighbourhood and asked her mum to go on it.

Hub staff knocked on her door shortly after and invited her and her daughter to the event.

Paki said her whānau are vaccinated and this encouraged her to be too.

Labour list MP Tamati Coffey said this is a common trend - "all it takes is one" person to be an "activator" for the rest of a whānau.

"They can go home and say 'hey kids, I didn't die'."

Coffey said it was important to take different approaches to increase vaccination rates, "we're going local".

"The thing that makes a difference is going into the neighbourhoods."

Rangi Makai, 7, and Paige Hancock, 12, at the Don't Duck the Vax event. Photo / Andrew Warner

Te Arawa Covid Hub co-ordinator Yvonne Rogers said, "We're not talking about a particular family because this neighbourhood is a family."

She understood that "not everyone likes a clinical setting ... it's Christmas let's have some fun".

The event ran from 4pm to 7.30pm on Thursday as a collaborative effort of Te Arawa Covid Hub partners and Rotorua Duck Tours with support from the Vax Vegas team.

Hub co-chair Monty Morrison said he was pleased to see Rotorua reach 90 per cent first doses but "our target is a lot more than that".

Morrison said the Hub was trying different things to target all demographics.

The Vax Vegas team of youths loved the idea to involve the infamous duck.

Morrison said this event had a "by you people, for young people approach".

He hoped the Hub's efforts would take Rotorua from a red zone to an orange zone by the Monday announcement.

"The stats will show we're probably higher than Sunday", when Rotorua recorded 90 per cent first doses.