Getting first-dose vaccination rate up crucial to reaching 90 percent target

As Aotearoa pushes towards a 90 percent vaccination rate, getting more people across the line for their first dose is all-important.

Although Super Saturday saw the record broken for the most vaccinations in a day, the number of people having their first vaccination was a small minority.

There were plenty of people willing to do the mahi on Saturday because there were treats a-plenty across the hundreds of vaccination sites around the country.  

From the top of the north, to the bottom of the south, a huge number of Kiwis have been turning out to get their first vaccination on Super Saturday. 

Across the country, more than 34,000 people got their first dose of Pfizer on Saturday, as Aotearoa inches its way towards 90 percent of the eligible population being vaccinated. 

In the small township of Kaeo, which is located at the top of the North Island, there was a flurry of first-timers. 

"Just do it for the whanau, do it for the community," one resident told Newshub.

"Don't believe what you've been hearing, just get it done," another resident said. 

For many, it was a family affair as more than 4500 people were vaccinated in Northland today, a welcome boost for a currently under-vaccinated area. 

"Today is just another drive, another push to get those numbers up just so we can go back to a bit of normality," a vaccinator at Te Runanga O Whaingaroa said.

At the other end of the country in Balclutha where they're also battling low vaccination rates, Mayor Bryan Cadogan pulled out all the stops and even offered to drive people to their Super Saturday event. 

"No one has trusted my driving but they've trusted my lollipops, I'll do whatever needs to be done," Cadogan said. 

In Mt Eden, the vaccine rates are high, but coffees were on offer to tempt the final few. 

"We've had a lot of first vaccines, which is perfect, it's what we wanted,"  Dr Sue Kirk told Newshub.

In Huntly, the Mongrel Mob had a question and answer session with experts on Saturday morning to help allay any fears about getting the vaccine. 

By the end of the day there was success, with members of the Mob getting the jab. 

In Wellington it was a family affair for Natalia's twelfth birthday. She had only one thing in mind for a birthday present, the vaccine. 

Watch the full story above.