Covid-19 vaccinations in Ōmokoroa

The Ōmokoroa Medical Centre established a Covid-19 vaccination service in its reception area that opened on 1st September.

This enables the Ōmokoroa community to get their vaccination conveniently when they are eligible.

“We have set up this vaccination centre primarily to try and assist our elderly and frail patients or to help those people that are not easily able to attend one of the main vaccinations centres in Tauranga.

“Given the small size of our building and the need to continue to provide other medical services to our enrolled patients, I think it is probably unrealistic to think that we can vaccinate everybody that lives in Ōmokoroa,” says Ōmokoroa Medical Centre Practice Manager Trevor Deane.

“Realistically, I would like the residents of Ōmokoroa to understand that we are trying to help with the roll-out of the vaccine as much as we can but also appreciate that we have significant other responsibilities too, and these make trying to help everybody that lives here difficult.

“We have recruited some additional staffing to help meet the demand, but those people that already have appointments booked elsewhere or can travel to the larger sites in Tauranga can really help by still doing so. We are anticipating high demand for our service and ask people to please be patient,” says Trevor.

Since the 1st September, everybody aged 12 and over is eligible to receive the vaccine and appointments can be booked at Ōmokoroa Medical Centre via their normal telephone number 548 0169.

Trevor also acknowledged that “once again, patients can help by not flooding our telephone lines first thing in the morning when we are dealing with acutely unwell people. There should be plenty of time for everyone to get through later on”.

If you can use one of the sites in town, use bookmyvaccine.nz for an appointment at Mount Maunganui, Tauranga or Katikati. Alternatively, call the Covid-19 vaccination health line on 0800 28 29 26.