Tāmaki Makaurau prepares for its first overnight vaccination event

Auckland’s Tāmaki Vaccination Centre is pulling its first all-nighter as the city pushes toward a 90 percent vaccination rate.

The centre in Morrin Road St Johns, which is run in partnership with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, will open at 8am on Friday and will continue vaccinating until 6.30 on Saturday morning.

Site lead Teara Gillman said her team was excited about the opportunities an overnight vaccination might offer the surrounding area.

“The aim is to reach all of those people who work at night or late in the evening because many of these people are often sleeping during the day when our site is open.

“We want to give everything a go to see if we can get to those last few people who just haven’t had access so far.”

To make it more attractive for locals and late night workers, the site will also be putting on some entertainment in the early evening as well
as a socially-distanced sausage sizzle, with support from neighbouring Countdown St Johns.

Local musicians/DJs will play until 9pm and the BBQ will keep sizzling until the sausages run out.

“We’re reaching out to all local whānau, shift workers, our local high school students and any other night owls to come on down on Friday to get a sausage for a shot if you haven’t yet been vaccinated,” said Teara Gillman.

Other vaccinations centres are now offering evening opening hours to help vaccinate busy workers who are now back at work under level 3.

This includes the Airport Park and Ride (open until 6pm every day), Mt Wellington (open until 7pm Monday to Friday), Birkenhead (open until 8pm Tuesday and Thursday) and Highbrook (open until 7pm from Wednesday to Friday).

The overnight initiative is the latest in a number of new schemes being offered by the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre to reach the
last 15 percent of Aucklanders yet to be vaccinated and builds up to the National Day of Action on 16 October.

Last week GPs in metro Auckland launched a new COVID-19 conversation programme for Māori and Pacific patients to help reach those who are yet to receive their first dose.

A free taxi service also started last Thursday for those who still need to get their first dose and maybe having difficulty getting to a vaccination centre.