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National

Mass Covid-19 vaccination event for South Auckland

A Covid-19 mass vaccination event is planned for South Auckland's Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau.

The vaccination drive aims to vaccinate 15,000 MIT students and their families. It will run over three days from July 30.

Auckland's District Health Board is coordinating the programme and says it has sought overseas advice for the event "unlike any other so far in Aotearoa".

The July event will target Māori and Pasifika populations at a time where Ministry of Health statistics show Māori vaccination rates are 42 percent behind pākehā, despite Māori being 50 percent more likely to die of the virus.

Some 16.5 percent of the general population are Māori but only 10-12 percent of vaccinations administered so far have been to Māori.

Earlier this year MIT's Manukau campus was the site of a coronavirus scare, which led to Tāmaki Makaurau entering level 3 lockdown for seven days.

Auckland DHB say 12 vaccinators will aim to vaccinate one person every minute at the event. They will be supported by 130 additional kaimahi in admin and logistics roles.

Students and families are required to register online for the event. There will be no walk-ins, to "keep a degree of control", but, should it be a success, additional walk-in events could follow.