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Waikato DHB’s Te Awa And Thames Community Vaccination Clinics Close Next Week
After more than a year and over 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations combined, Waikato DHB’s Te Awa and Thames Community Vaccination Clinics close next week, as the DHB continues to transition into providing mobile vaccination services in its immunisation catch-up campaign.
The Te Awa Community Vaccination Clinic at The Base Shopping Centre in Te Rapa closes on Thursday 16th.
A shared project between the DHB and Waikato-Tainui, and the largest community vaccination clinic in the Waikato it opened on 20 July 2021, and has remained open seven days a week through most of the pandemic to date.
Over that time Te Awa’s vaccinators administered 82,400 COVID-19 and 696 flu vaccinations.
“Waikato-Tainui were instrumental in getting us into Te Awa as it is owned by Tainui Group Holdings and Kiwi Properties and we were given special rental terms,” says Maree Munro, Executive Lead, Waikato DHB COVID-19 and Immunisation Directorate.
Its opening was attended by the Māori King, Te Arikinui Tūheitia Paki along with Waikato DHB chief executive Dr Kevin Snee, who says that by partnering with organisations across the takiwā the DHB’s COVID-19 programme has been tailored to the unique needs of the community.
“When COVID-19 first touched our shores last year, we were given a tongikura from Kiingi Tuuheitia that to protect the wellbeing of our people is paramount. This has been woven throughout our entire COVID-19 response and drives our vaccination programme,” says Dr Snee.
The Thames Community Vaccination Clinic in Goldfields Shopping Centre, Thames, closes on Wednesday 15 June. Although smaller than Te Awa, it has also played a key role in the pandemic response throughout the Hauraki and Coromandel area.
Opening one week later than Te Awa on 27 July, it has since administered 20,408 COVID-19 and 413 flu vaccinations.
The DHB worked alongside Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki, an iwi-based provider delivering health services throughout Hauraki.
Te Korowai also ran mobile clinics in some of the Hauraki rohe’s smaller and more remote locations, particularly targeted at vaccinating kaumātua. These clinics were a key part of Waikato DHB’s focus on making sure the whole population had the opportunity to be vaccinated, wherever they lived.
“Te Korowai’s commitment to the programme and their willingness to work with us to shape it has been outstanding and we’re pleased to have had their considerable experience to support the programme,” says Munro.
The DHB is replacing the community vaccination clinics with mobile vaccination clinics throughout the Waikato, except for one remaining clinic in Tokoroa where additional vaccination capacity is needed to support primary care providers.
The mobile clinics are offering COVID-19 to everyone aged 5+, and free flu and MMR immunisations for those eligible. With the reduced prevalence of flu and measles and a focus on COVID-19 over the past two years, immunisation rates have dropped from the levels reported in 2020, and national and local campaigns are underway to encourage people to get protected.
Influenza immunisations are free to those aged 65+, Māori and Pacific people 55+, adults with health conditions such as asthma and diabetes, children aged 4 years or under who have a history of significant respiratory illness, and pregnant women.
There is also an ongoing campaign to get teenagers and young adults fully immunised against measles as some have missed one or both recommended doses of the MMR vaccine.
For weekly information on all Waikato DHB mobile vaccination clinics go to: https://www.waikatodhb.health.nz/your-health/covid-19-in-waikato/covid-19-vaccination/mobile/
For more information call Waikato DHB on 0800 220 250 or visit www.waikatodhb.health.nz/immunise
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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