The generation game
When 11-year-old Evelyn Colgate got her first Covid-19 vaccination yesterday, her whānau were not there just there to hold her hand – they got jabbed as well.
The Oakura School student, her mum Bianca Ruakere and ‘‘nanny’’ Anne Ruakere, 77, made the first day that children aged between 5-11 could get vaccinated into a family affair.
Across Taranaki, about 200 children had the jab yesterday, with about 800 other vaccinations carried out. The Taranaki District Health Board said it was pleased with the numbers, which it described as ‘‘encouraging’’.
Evelyn got her first jab, and her mum and nanny got their booster shots, at Māori heathcare provider Tui Ora in New Plymouth.
‘‘I didn’t even really notice it happening,’’ Evelyn said.
Mum Bianca added: ‘‘We were quite keen for her to be first through the doors. And it was just a nice opportunity.’’
The ‘‘health conscious whānau’’ were in a rush to get Evelyn vaccinated – and not only because Bianca works for Tui Ora and Anne was a registered nurse.
When Evelyn was a baby she contracted strep pneumonia, which was ‘‘near fatal’’ as it resulted in holes in her lungs.
Now, whenever she gets respiratory illnesses she has to have a scan ‘‘because they can’t tell what’s infection, and what’s scar tissue’’, Bianca said.
The family are also planning a trip to the UK to see Evelyn’s other grandparents, who are in their 80s, and Bianca wanted to make sure her daughter was protected. ‘‘We’ve been really holding out for this [child vaccinations].’’
Evelyn said she wanted to visit her grandparents in England. ‘‘I haven’t seen them for two years because it’s been hard to go anywhere.’’
For Anne, getting her booster was a simple decision – after decades as a registered nurse she said she had seen the benefits of vaccinations.
‘‘When I worked as a ward nurse I saw a baby with whooping cough. It was terrible to witness for the parents and the child,’’ she said. ‘‘You still hear of occasional whooping cough, but not a lot of it.’’
Tuberculosis was something she used to see, but not any more. ‘‘Thankfully, immunisations give us an opportunity to avoid the worst impacts of these diseases.’’
Tui Ora’s clinical nurse leader, Robyn Taylor, was working in the clinic in the morning and gave the family their jabs.
‘‘It’s been busy, it’s been good – mostly kids,’’ Taylor said. ‘‘We’re encouraging whānau to bring their tamariki in.’’
Taylor had seen more than 20 children before noon and expected the numbers would stay steady as ‘‘kids have been affected more than adults’’ with Covid-19 in Taranaki.
Rachel Court, Taranaki Covid19 vaccination planner, said it had been a busy day.
‘‘As of 4.30pm, almost 1000 vaccinations have been given across Taranaki and around 200 of those have been in the 5-11-year-old age bracket.
‘‘This is an encouraging first day, but it’s only the beginning and our long-term planning is under way with our Māori healthproviders Ngaruahine, Ngāti Ruanui and Tui Ora to make sure there is equitable access right across the region.’’
For under 12-year-olds the vaccine is specially formulated with a lower dose and a smaller volume of that given to adults.
Two doses will be given to children, with at least an eight-week gap in between.
Appointments can be set up online at Book My Vaccine, or by calling Healthline on 0800 28 29 26.