First marae-based clinic provides trust and reassurance for Papakura community

“We’re vaccinating everyone over 12, so fill up the car with your bubble, our staff like to be busy”

Getting his COVID-19 jab close to home made a huge difference to 15-year-old Te Rangiura Royal who got his vaccine at the first marae-based, drive-through clinic in south Auckland.

Mr Royal queued up at Papakura Marae this morning with his mother, GP and University of Auckland academic Matire Harwood.

Being able to get a drive-through vaccination locally is “excellent”, says Dr Harwood who lives in Papakura and works at the marae’s health centre.

Mr Royal had been invited to get his jab at the clinic based at Auckland Airport over the weekend, but turned down the offer, saying it was important for him to get it done in his own community.

Both mother and son told gathered media they were feeling nervous – Mr Royal about getting his first dose, and Dr Harwood that he would faint on camera: “Of all the children to faint, it would probably be my child.”

Media were welcomed to the opening of the vaccination clinic by Papakura Marae chief executive Tony Kake.

He says the clinic was set up after discussions with GP and National Hauora Coalition clinical director Rawiri McKree Jansen, Counties Manukau DHB and the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC).

“We were looking at what is happening in Australia with vaccinations, we saw this bit of land was unused, so we thought, let’s make this happen,” says Mr Kake.

After reports of low Māori vaccination rates, a marae-based clinic was a good way to increase both trust and confidence for Māori, and in the past week, the numbers have started to improve, he adds.

NRHCC vaccine programme director Matt Hannant applauds the speed with which the clinic got up and running. He adds, with drive-through centres proving popular, there is the possibility of opening more across Auckland, including on the North Shore, and basing more at marae.

“It’s about making sure there’s lots of access points for people to get the vaccine.”

Mr Kake says Papakura Marae is also discussing an outreach programme to make the vaccine accessible to those who might not be able to get to the drive-through clinic or a primary care centre: “We want to bring the mountain to the whānau.”

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Mr Kake adds it is great to “see the whānau here” getting their vaccine. The process is simple and efficient with most vaccinated within 30 minutes.

“We’re vaccinating everyone over 12, so fill up the car with your bubble, our staff like to be busy.”

People line up on the road, where they get a “kia ora” and a quick screening to make sure they’re well, then go through the first checkpoint to give their details.

Then they roll down their windows and drive on through to get their jab, before spending 15 minutes in the car park under observation.

It’s not without its challenges though – while New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa was at the clinic, one car failed to start up just after the driver had had his vaccine.

Mr Kake was quick to come to the rescue, jumping into his ute to try and jump start the car.

“It’s all good, there’s at least two to three of these every day,” he laughs after the car is moved to safety.

Scheduled to run Monday to Friday from 9am until about 4pm, depending on demand, Mr Kake estimates the clinic can administer about 50-60 doses of vaccine per hour – a rough daily total of about 480 per day.

With the eligibility criteria for the vaccine opening to all New Zealanders aged 12 and over, Mr Kake says he was unsure how many people would actually come through the clinic today.

Between 30 to 35 staff are working in the vaccination clinic, on top of the 68 staff working across about 44 services provided by Papakura Marae.

Spreading the word through social media such as Facebook and the marae’s various networks, the vaccine clinic started up on 30 August, with a “non-booking system approach” for the first two days - locals could just show up and get their vaccine, says Mr Kake.

“We put a shoutout to the locals, because if we can get it right locally in Papakura, and Pukekohe and Manurewa, and people support their nearest vaccination centre, we’ll do better across the whole region.”

Today the clinic is operating on a 50:50 split of bookings and drive-ins, says Mr Kake.

“For those people who might find it hard to navigate the booking system, all are welcome here, nau mai haere mai, come and get your vaccine.”

The drive-through clinic is the final piece in an “important trifecta” of services based at Papakura Marae to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, says Mr Kake.

In the upper part of the marae, there is also a drive-through COVID-19 testing centre and a foodbank.

The foodbank has been running at the marae for over 20 years, but demand has doubled overnight since COVID, says Mr Kake.

Whānau call up between 9 am and 12pm then come and collect their food parcels at 1pm – all contactless under Alert Level 4.