Te Piki Oranga host first COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Te Āwhina Marae
Te Piki Oranga ran its first Māori-focused COVID-19 vaccination clinic in a marae setting in the Tasman region on Friday, 28th May. While the doors were open at Te Piki Oranga’s offices at Te Āwhina Marae, its nurses administered 53 doses to local kaumātua (elders) and their whānau.
With a successful track record in ensuring Māori over the age of 65, along with their whānau, receive the vaccine, Te Piki Oranga has now run one clinic at Te Āwhina marae, three clinics at Waikawa Marae in Marlborough and three clinics at Noho Pakari (kaumātua ‘sit and be fit class’) in Blenheim. These clinics have resulted in over 500 whānau in the Te Tauihu (Top of the South) region being vaccinated so far. The next two clinics are at Whakatū Marae on 11 and 12 June.
Māori over the age of 65 are receiving priority access to the vaccine because they are more at risk of developing severe illness if they contract COVID-19. Because so many kaumātua live in intergenerational households, whānau members over the age of 16 are also eligible to be vaccinated at Te Piki Oranga’s clinics.
‘Te Āwhina Marae is an ideal venue,’ says Te Piki Oranga Covid Response Manager Claire McKenzie, ‘because it’s based in a very active community. It’s been an opportunity for community members to receive the vaccine from people they know and trust in a familiar environment, rather than in a clinical setting. We want whānau to feel really comfortable.’
McKenzie said a lot of Māori communities are unaware that the vaccine is free, so she wants to get the message out there that it does not cost to be vaccinated. Te Piki Oranga has seen, during clinics at Waikawa Marae, that confidence in the vaccine increases when kaumātua and their whānau see others being vaccinated; they need time to be reassured that adverse side effects are very unlikely.
‘It’s important for whānau to understand that they need to book in advance for the clinic if they wish to be vaccinated, and if they have any concerns about the vaccine, they are also welcome to call us and ask questions,’ said McKenzie. ‘There is a lot of misinformation out there and we can provide reliable advice.’
Across Aotearoa, a higher proportion of Māori, compared to the general population, are hesitant about having the vaccine. According to Horizon Research's March report for the Ministry of Health, approximately 21 per cent of Māori said they 'need to know more' before deciding whether to take the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. In the latest research, Māori have a similar intention to take a COVID-19 vaccine as they did in previous surveys (conducted in December and February), but the percentage of those who are unlikely to take a vaccine has dropped from a peak of 27 per cent in December to a below-average 18 per cent.
In recent weeks, Nelson Marlborough Health has run two very large clinics in Tasman, which has resulted in 970 doses being administered, so while this is not the first COVID vaccination clinic in Tasman, it was the first Māori-focused clinic on a marae.
The next clinic at Te Āwhina Marae is being held on Friday 18th June, from 10am. Kaumātua and their whānau are invited to book an appointment at this clinic by calling 0800 ORANGA (0800 672 642).
Getting vaccinated at Te Āwhina Marae also means Te Piki Oranga can extend manaakitanga to its Māori community members, ensuring they are welcomed and supported.
Te Āwhina site manager Lydia Mains said she has been calling local whānau to let them know about the clinics and encourages them to bring their kaumātua to the marae, and to come along as well. ‘We’re saying, don’t put older people at risk. The clinic will be somewhere everyone can come to meet, talk and share. It’s not just a quick “in and out”.’
Mains and her fellow kaimahi are also offering support, if needed, with arranging transport to the marae.
If whānau have any pātai (questions) about the COVID-19 vaccine, they can contact Donna Grace at donna.grace@tpo.org.nz or on 027 4133 697.
