Northland Rugby's teamed up with iwi health providers to launch an innovative vaccine drive in the region.
“We know our Māori, Pasifika community, they're still yet to be vaccinated to the number we'd like so this is an initiative to hopefully engage them, empower them,” Northland-based coach Aorangi Stokes said.
Under the Take Two for the Team initiative, every person who gets a vaccine from an iwi health provider will see a $10 donation go towards a community sports club of their choice.
Northland has 52 rugby clubs - many of them in isolated, hard to reach areas - but they're the hub of their tiny communities. The clubs will be using the extra funds for facility upgrades and health and education initiatives.
While 65 per cent of Northlanders have had their first dose of the vaccine, only 35 per cent are fully vaccinated, leaving the region vulnerable to Covid-19.
Clinical manager Maureen Allan said it would be “devastating” if it entered the community.
“Our hospitals wouldn't be able to cope.”
Misinformation is stopping many from getting the jabs.
“It’s the younger ones, I think it's what they hear on TikTok or what they're seeing on Facebook. They're being a bit hesitant,” Allan said.
Anti-vaxxers have been taking aim at vulnerable communities.
One message reading “four teens dead. Jab all risk, no benefit” was written around the streets of Whangārei but is completely untrue.
Northland DHB CEO Dr Nick Chamberlain said he was riding his bike with his wife when he overheard a loudspeaker claiming people “had died in Whangārei Hospital, that we had people in ICU at the time and all the staff were being muzzled”.
“I felt like jumping in the car, getting on the mic and yelling that this is a pack of lies,” he said.
Myths have also been circulating that the vaccines have not been properly tested.
Chamberlain expressed concerns around people believing it is “an experimental vaccine”.
“It's been developed since the SARS outbreak back in 2003 so it's not a very new technology, a new vaccine,” he explained.
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