Waipā iwi relations adviser Shane Te Ruki leads Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest and guests into Te Awamutu's newly opened COVID-19 community vaccination centre. Photo / Dean Taylor
Waipā iwi relations adviser Shane Te Ruki leads Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest and guests into Te Awamutu's newly opened COVID-19 community vaccination centre. Photo / Dean Taylor
The former Bunnings store in Te Awamutu has been transformed into the Waikato's latest Covid-19 community vaccination centre.
The centre opened today after a whakamaanawatanga dedicating it to the kaupapa of the vaccination programme, lead by Waipā iwi relations officer Shane Te Ruki. Guests were invited into the centre for the dedication and committal of the site, followed by speeches and kai before the centre was opened to the public.
Entry to Te Awamutu's newly opened COVID-19 community vaccination centre. Photo / Dean Taylor
Waikato Covid-19 vaccine programme lead Maree Munro said the site would be able to vaccinate up to 250 people a day.
It will initially be open three days a week while the DHB continues to build its vaccination workforce, then move to six days a week, Monday to Saturday.
Bookings for people in Group 4 aged 55 plus have now opened with other age bands planned to open as the programme progresses.
"We're still vaccinating people in Groups 1, 2 and 3, and we're keen to encourage anyone eligible to get in and get their vaccinations now," said Maree.
"By getting vaccinated, people will protect themselves, play their part in protecting their family, friends and wider community and help to support official decisions around opening up the country further."
Vaccinations at the Te Awamutu centre will be by appointment only and people who are eligible do not have to wait for an invitation to book.
Three of the five vaccination pods. Photo / Dean Taylor
Bookings can be made online at www.BookMyVaccine.nz or by phoning the national call centre on 0800 28 29 26.
Vaccination is free and Waikato DHB has worked with health providers around the region to develop a comprehensive network of vaccination sites, Maree said.
"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to be vaccinated somewhere handy to them. So that might be a pharmacy, their local GP practice or at one of our community vaccination centres."
Welcome area of Te Awamutu's newly opened COVID-19 community vaccination centre in the former Bunnings Warehouse. Photo / Dean Taylor
Community vaccination centres like the one in Te Awamutu are designed to efficiently vaccinate large numbers of people.
So far, more than 140,000 vaccinations have been administered across the Waikato to date. It will take until the end of the year to ensure everyone eligible has been given an opportunity to receive a vaccination.
Maree said the Waikato vaccination programme also included mobile clinics in smaller or more remote settlements to make sure everyone had the opportunity to be vaccinated, wherever they lived.
Waipā Mayor Jim Mylchreest got his Covid-19 vaccine at Te Awamutu's new community vaccination centre. Photo / Te Awamutu Courier
Many of these clinics had been run by the Waikato's Māori health providers.
"The vaccination programme is a major undertaking and it's only going to be possible because our community health providers are working alongside us," Munro said.
Bookings are open for:
• People in Group 4 aged 55 and over • Group 3, which includes people aged 65 and over, those with underlying health conditions, people with disabilities, and pregnant women • Groups 1 and 2, including older Māori and Pacific people and their whānau.
