The soothing sounds of the islands greeted a steady stream of people at special Covid-19 vaccination clinic set up for the Pasifika community in Taranaki today.
Louisa Malili kept the tunes rolling. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The Whiteley Methodist Church in New Plymouth opened its doors for the occasion as the District Health Board turned its focus to vaccinating the region's 1800-strong Pasifika community.
So far about 7000 people - or 7 percent - of the Taranaki population has been vaccinated against Covid-19, most from Group 2 including front-line health and border workers, people in residential care, disability groups and older Māori and Pasifika.
The wider Pasifika community is also identified as high-risk and is next cab off the rank.
Steven Parrish, who is responsible for the vaccine roll out in Taranaki, said the DHB took a first-come first-served approach at today's clinic.
"We follow a similar model to the Māori health model around the Whānau Ora framework and it's around vaccinating whoever turns up.
"You have to be 16 or over as per the vaccination framework but ultimately if you turn up with your whānau, your family, then we will vaccinate you."
Parrish said some people had expressed a reluctance to get immunised but the DHB had countered that with an information hui run in conjunction with the Vaimoana Pasifika Community Trust.
"Yeah there's always hesitancy when it comes to any medication or vaccine, but I presented here a couple of weeks ago to the senior leaders in the Pasifika community and they were well informed about what to expect and about what's needed from them and so we haven't had a lot of pushback at the moment.
Steven Parrish. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
"But you never know because on the day you don't know who's going to turn up and who's not."
Building company owner Veni Uhila - who is Tongan - reckoned those meetings were a great idea.
"One of the doctors from Auckland came down and spoke one evening in the church and all that, so it was it was quite good in a way, you know, getting all the kaumātua islanders over here in a place where they are comfortable in a church and not going to the hospital which some people might find hard."
A special vaccination clinic set up in Taranaki. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
He hardly noticed his jab.
"Nah, not at all and also I rang up work. I've got three Pasifika staff that works for me, so I rang them up and they're on their way as well."
Louisa Malili is a co-ordinator for Mafutaga Tuaā Sinasina, a group which organises activities for Pasifika retirees.
They provided the musical backdrop and made sure no one left without having a cup of tea and a bite to eat.
Malili left Samoa for New Zealand in 1975 and was proud to be among the first people in Taranaki to get the vaccine.
"A lot of us over here they feel confident to have the Covid-19 [vaccine]. There's only a few I heard that couldn't make it today, but the rest they are already here. Our Fijian people, Tongan, Samoan, you know - Pasifika - which is quite good."
She said the vaccine was nothing to worry about.
"It's not even sore. I don't know what's the confusion or why people are scared. It's nothing wrong with having a little jab."
Parrish said although a small minority did not want the vaccination, he also spent time brushing off people who wanted to jump the queue.
"The predominant message we are getting is that people want to come in and get vaccinated, specifically those who want to head overseas for holidays or that sort of thing, but they're not the high risk group of course."
Taranaki District Health Board said 37 people were vaccinated at today's clinic - a number affected by a funeral in Auckland - and it would be holding another clinic targeted at the Pasifika community in about five weeks.
It also hoped to begin telling over-65s in the general population how they could make bookings for a jab in the next couple of weeks.
