An Auckland marae is stepping up its Māori vaccination campaign as it prepares for the onslaught of an Omricron outbreak.

Manurewa Marae is bracing itself for a massive surge of Covid-19 case numbers – from the hundreds to the thousands – in as little as 14 days as Omicron spreads in the community.

Speaking to Paakiwaha host Dale Husband on Radio Waatea this morning, chief executive Takutai Moana Tarsh Kemp revealed that her team of nurses, vaccinators and support crew are still vaccinating dozens of people every day.

The marae has been at the forefront of Auckland’s vaccine rollout, one of the first sites to offer immunisations back in April 2021.

“Vaccinations are still key to te ao Māori rates,” says Kemp.

“So first time jabs. You know, out here in Manurewa, we are still seeing whānau who are needing their first vaccinations and every day, we get 50 to 60 who are getting a first-time vaccination, second-time jabs and then boosters.

“We’re at a phase where our whānau need to or are ready to get boosters and then we’ve also started rolling out the five to 11-year-old tamariki vaccinations which we’ve been doing for over a week now.

“So vaccinations aere still key to provide protection for our whānau here in our community.”

According to Manurewa Marae, while most people who become infected with Omicron will not get critically unwell, others will so it’s important that whānau prepare and plan today.

• If you’re 18 and over, get your booster dose four months after your last dose. The booster reduces the severity of illness if you get Omicron. It means you’re much less likely to end up in hospital than if you don’t have a booster. You can get your booster today at the Auckland Airport Park’n’Ride, local pharmacy like Manukau Chemist Warehouse or Manurewa Marae.

• Make a plan if your family have to self-isolate. Download a suggested plan here.

• Manukau, Papatoetoe and Manurewa businesses are planning as well as supporting their workforce to get a booster. In addition to a business continuity plan, there’s a leave support scheme that gives financial support while people are isolating.

More information on how to prepare and stay safe can be found here.

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