By Tessa Parker, One News / TVNZ. Republished with permission.
The first Pacific community-led vaccination buses have launched in South Auckland as part of a fleet of 12 to feed into community-led vaccination centres.
Aptly named Busifika Vax, the buses will be loaned to Māori and Pacific healthcare providers to help reach local communities.
The two buses are currently at standstill at a drive-thru vaccination centre in Māngere, but in Level 2 they will travel to different hotspots.
The campaign hopes to promote the Covid jab where there might be a large amount of people, or vaccine hesitancy.
Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio says “this is all about trying to make sure we leave no stone unturned, to ensure that everyone in Auckland has access to the vaccine.
“South Seas Healthcare and Bader Drive Doctors, these are the providers that know our community well. That know how to reach our community,” he said from the launch.
The minister also noted the buses allow for a vaccine strategy similar to that in Samoa, making the jab easy and accessible.
“It’s fitting also because in the island of Samoa the new Government is today continuing it’s door-to-door approach. They are going from village-to-village and that’s what these buses will enable us to do.”
Dr Sirovai Fuatai acknowledged the difficulty of vaccinating Pasifika throughout Auckland and the rest of New Zealand.
“This weather today is like the challenge we face for the Pasifika people, but as I said like the All Black coach… we’re looking forward to it, every match that comes we’re looking forward to it. ”
Pasifika communities have been hit hardest by the most recent Covid-19 outbreak, with a large portion of cases associated with an Assemblies of God Church of Samoa cluster.
NRHCC Pacific Lead Meg Poutasi said the population density added to the challenge of beating Covid-19.
“Families are really responsive, that’s one of the reasons Delta’s been so devastating for us, because it’s really household transmission in Delta, which is almost always 100 per cent that’s actually seen the Samoan numbers in the August outbreak be so high.”
Community leaders are also hoping the ease of the buses will trump any false information about the vaccine that could be present.
The two buses in Māngere will form a fleet of 12, sourced by the Northern Regional Health Coordination Centre.
Like other vaccination buses, Shot Bro and Shot Cuz, Busifika Vax buses are being loaned by Auckland Airport.
The reveal of the buses also saw the beginning of a mass vaccination event in the Māngere town centre, aiming to vaccinate 3,000 people in three days.
