Pacific Island Hopper Mass Drive-through Vaccination Tour

Polynesia descends on Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium for the weekend

From the moment people enter Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium for a vaccination event this weekend, they will be transported beyond the country’s borders with the welcoming sights and sounds of nine Pacific islands.

As they make their journey by car through the venue, there will be music and dancing from the Cook Islands, Niue and Kiribati followed by the Kingdom of Tonga, Fiji and Rotuma, then on to the village hub of Samoa, Tuvalu and Tokelau. There will also be appearances from Pacific sports celebrities and musicians – and of course, the opportunity to get vaccinated along the way.

The festive family-friendly event, which kicked off this morning and runs through until 5pm Sunday, has been organised by the Pacific Leadership Forum (PLF), the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC), South Seas Healthcare, Pasefika Family Health, Auckland Unlimited and the Ministry of Health.

PLF Chairman Pakilau Manase Lua is calling for all in the Auckland Pacific community to unite with one heart and one purpose, to get Pasifika vaccinated.

“We are facing a challenging task to engage and mobilise this last group of people who might still be feeling unsure about the vaccine. We are determined to not leave anyone behind in this pandemic and stand in unity against the virus.”

More than 27,000 Pacific people in Auckland have not yet been vaccinated according to Ministry of Health data, and close to 53,000 Pacific people across the city still need to get their second dose.

NRHCC programme director Matt Hannant says the aim of all events happening across the city over the weekend is to further boost vaccination rates across the board.

“At present, metro Auckland is at over 90 percent first dose and at 84 per cent double dose.

“Getting your second dose now is really important to ensure that you have the strongest possible protection. If it has been more than 21 days since your first dose then we encourage you to come along to one of our events this weekend to get your second in a fun, welcoming environment. If you’re still feeling unsure, you can also have a chat to one of our friendly medical staff about any questions you might have.”

He says if people are unable to get along to Mt Smart this weekend, there are a many other pop up events taking place right across the city this weekend, including:

· Māngere East Hawks, Māngere East (Sat: 10am-2pm)

· HVAZ Sandringham, 317 Hillsborough Road, Hillsborough (Sat: 10am-3pm)

· Pop-up at Krispy Kreme, Manukau (Sat: 10am-3pm)

· Manurewa Netball Courts - Drive in Movie (Sun: 2pm-9pm)

And the vaccination buses and campervans are parked up at the following locations:

· (Bus) Manurewa Marae - St Annes, Russell Road, Manurewa (Fri and Sat: 9am-3pm)

· (Bus) Fetakinima' a e Tonga, 260 Richardson Road, Mt Roskill (Fri and Sat: 8.30am-5pm)

· (Bus) Turuki - 15 Canning Street, Māngere (Fri to Tues)

· (Campervan) Strive vaccination event, 253 Buckland Road, Mangere East (Sat: 10am-3pm)

· (Campervan) Latter Day Saints, 39 Lunn Ave, Mt Wellington (Sat: 9am-3pm)

· (Campervan) Otakanini Haranui Marae (Sat: 9am-3pm)

· (Campervan) Reweti Marae (Sat: 9am-3pm)

· (Campervan) Port Albert Boat Ramp, Port Albert (Sat and Sun: 9am-3pm)

People can also walk in at any of the community vaccination centres this weekend, or head along to one of the 200+ GP clinics and 100+ pharmacies now delivering vaccinations across Auckland. Full details of opening hours and sites can be found at www.vaccinateforauckland.nz

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