Two events aimed at increasing Māori vaccination rates in South Auckland on Monday attracted around 200 people, most of them receiving their first dose.
South Auckland doctors were among community leaders who travelled in a convoy, street to street, through areas that've had a low uptake.
Papakura Marae GP Dr Matire Harwood said they want to "test this idea of going into their communities so we can be there with them, shift the power balance".
It's the first time vaccination buses and vans have been used in this way, but it's a strategy that's been successful in other regions.
"We've stayed in our static fixed sites, we've done some outreach, some pop-up, but this is just extending that outreach," Northern Region Health Coordination Centre clinical director Dr Anthony Jordan said.
"This is what our people are more used to, the kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) contact," another local health professional, Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri, added.
Harwood said the Papakura Marae doctor's clinic phoned around 600 whānau last week, and were able to reach 30 per cent.
"Once they had their questions addressed, they came in and had the vaccine, but there was about 60 per cent we couldn't get hold of and those the people we need to reach," she said.
After a long day on the road, Jordan said “we were pleased to encourage close to 80 whānau to get their first doses within the first five hours, every number counts with an approach like this.”
But he said vaccinations were just a bonus today, and the most important thing was the conversations they had with unvaccinated whānau.
Counties Manukau DHB is the only Auckland DHB that's yet to hit the 90 per cent first dose mark, with just over 11,700 people still needing to be jabbed.
Nationwide, 120,315 more first doses are needed for Māori to reach 90 per cent.
Māori health advocate Dr Rawiri Jansen is optimistic it can be done.
"I had a look at the data and what it shows is Māori and Pacific, because we're younger, we started when Group 4 got the go ahead - actually we're going faster now than all the vaccination programme before we got started," he said.
He was impressed with the high percentage of people turning out for a first dose at an event at Rongomai Park in Flat Bush.
Kiwi artists King Kapisi and Che Fu were among those who performed at the site on Monday to help boost attendance.
One of those attending told 1News it "makes the experience a little bit lighter".
"It's a cool thing that's added... that could encourage more people to come," another said.
Jansen said it's important to hold more events encouraging vaccination.
He still wants there to be more opportunities for Māori and Pacific people to ask questions about "the vaccine, their health conditions or the medicines they're on".
"We've done all the easy ones, now we've got to get busy and do all the ones that're holding back... let's get them off the fence, let's get them safe," he said.
"I just didn't get it before 'cause I couldn't be bothered," one woman getting her first dose of the vaccine, Mapuna Kahunuirio, said.
"I have a younger brother that's debating it, whether or not he should get it, but I think he should be getting it soon."
Another person getting the vaccine on Sunday was Madison Leilua.
"My sister brought me along she told me go get vaccinated... I'm not really a fan of needles," she said.
She said her hesitancy was also due to the controversy around the vaccine, and the fact some family members don't like the vaccine. Despite her concerns, she said she felt confident in her decision to get the jab.
"I think it's better for the community to be safe if I was vaxxed, as well as my family, that pushed me to get it too."
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