Being vaccinated is the best protection for Pacific communities in tackling the Covid-19 virus, says Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Dentist and Etu Pasifika Board Member, Dr Tule Misa.

The news of a positive Covid-19 case reaching the shores of Tonga last week, following the arrival of a chartered flight from Christchurch, has resulted in a surge of vaccination numbers for the Christchurch community. Despite new cases of Covid-19 in the community, Christchurch remains at Alert Level 2.

Etu Pasifika are running another Covid-19 vaccination drive in Ashburton this Sunday and all are welcome!

In light of the new cases in Christchurch, we are encouraging our community to get tested and vaccinated.

The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) welcomes the decision by Government to outline a pathway for Aotearoa to move towards a Covid-19 Protection Framework. We note the intention to shift to the new framework when DHBs reach 90% full vaccination. This will be important to allow Pacific communities to plan with some certainty.

Tributes are flowing in with the sudden passing of Tauranga based Orthopaedic Surgeon and Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) member Dr Andrew MacDiarmid.

Afio mai! We're running our second Samoa Covid-19 Vaccination Day on Saturday 30th October at our clinic! We're also inviting our families from the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji & Niue to join us - all are welcome!

The sudden announcement of a nationwide Alert Level 4 lockdown last month put a halt to the journey back home for members of the Tongan Olympic team, who found themselves stranded in Christchurch.

The largest Pacific health provider in Christchurch, Etu Pasifika, is continuing to see high demands from Pacific families for the Covid-19 vaccine. They will be running a vaccination drive for their Pacific community this weekend.

Etu Pasifika the largest Pacific health provider in Christchurch re-opened their Covid-19 vaccination centre last week and are experiencing a surge in bookings for the vaccine from Pacific families.

As we continue to live in this “New Norm” and adjust our lives to different Alert Levels, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) through Pasifika Futures (PFL) – the Whānau Ora agency for Pacific families – remains resolute and active in its support of Pacific families.

The team at Etu Pasifika is urging more Pacific individuals and families to the clinic’s next vaccination drive set for Sunday 29 August 2021 and assures the community that the vaccination is safe, and the clinic is a safe environment to get the vaccine.