Pictured left to right:
Mena Antonio, Mayor Lyn Patterson, Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Aupito Su’a William Sio, Chair of Pasifika O Wairarapa Council, Luther Toloa.
We are lucky to have the guidance and support of the Pasifika O Wairarapa Council, which advised early on in the vaccination programme that a face to face fono was the best way to reach our Pacific community. Taking the initiative, Pasifika O Wairarapa Chair, Luther Toloa, invited Ministers Faafoi and Sio to attend the gathering on 2 May to hear Dr Apisalome Talemaitoga and Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone discuss the vaccination programme and to support the vaccination process.
In addition to hearing from experts about the clinical and operational aspects of the programme, Immigration Minister, Kris Faafoi spoke about the misinformation that is rife in our community, urging the audience of more than 100 to “trust the science, and the people that understand that science, to guide us how we can best protect our people.”
Wairarapa MP, Kieran McAnulty, agreed and reminded us that Carterton was the first in New Zealand to report community transmission. “Remember how scary that was?” he remembered. “Listening to the experts is important. It’s how we beat Covid-19.”
Wairarapa DHB is working closely with Tū Orā Compass Health and the region’s Pacific Health Navigator to ensure vaccinations are offered as early as possible for the Pacific community.
