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National | Novel Coronavirus / COVID-19

Last surviving 28th Māori Battalion veteran gets Covid -19 vaccine

Robert Bom Gillies, the last Māori veteran of the 28th Māori Battalion still alive, enlisted in Rotorua at 17-years-old with B Company at the start of World War II.

Today the war veteran, who was sent to fight in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with a large portion of his time in Italy, happily turned up for his first Covid-19 vaccination along with his two mokopuna. Asked why, "Bom" as he is affectionately known by his Te Arawa people and whanau said, “for my own wellbeing and that of my whanau”.

“Mā te Māori mō te Māori”

Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Te Arawa Hub asked the Lakes District Health Board if Māori organisations could prepare and inform the elderly and also prepare and facilitate help with the distribution of the vaccine. Today 150 kaumātua and their bubbles arrived for their first jabs at the Waikite Rugby Clubrooms.

Health guides

Te Arawa Hub chairman Monty Morrison said there were health guides chosen for each area to speak to the locals, to encourage them to come along. Brochures and information packs were distributed in English and Māori to bring understanding. Also, if anyone had questions as in today's rollout, there were two doctors available.

Maedawn Katene of Ngāti Tuara and Ngāti Kea was approached by the health guides and said without their support she would have found it difficult to understand the Covid-19 vaccine and where to receive it.

Hohepa Nicholson of Te Arawa Lakes Trust and his team were confronted by questions in preparation for today, questions around the clinical areas such as "what are the risks involved with the vaccine, what are the after-effects of the vaccine, and can we take the vaccine if we are taking medication?"

It is questions like these that still have some of the country sceptical about the Covid-19 vaccine.  But when the Maori battalion veteran was asked for a response, his reply was, “Remove ourselves from those thoughts. This is right, it’s about our safety and that of the entire world.”

Everyone in New Zealand aged 16 and over will be in one of four groups for their Covid-19 voluntary vaccinations. Group 1 was front-line workers, group 2 and 3 includes Māori elders like those who arrived today.

After today's Covid-19 Vaccine rollout these kaumātua will return in three weeks' time for their second vaccine.