Napier boy's starring role in vaccination promotion video for Super Saturday

Written by Sahiban Hyde for Hawkes Bay Today

Marley Paki is already being dubbed a "star" after his lead role in a light-hearted campaign video to get people vaccinated this "Super Saturday."

Super Saturday is a nationwide campaign to encourage people to get the Covid vaccine, which thousands of eligible people in the region have yet to do.

In Hawke's Bay, 79 per cent of the region's eligible population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 59 per cent are fully vaccinated.

But If you are looking to get your vaccination, Saturday is the day for it, with 28 providers open across Hawke's Bay.

Marley, 12, wanted to encourage fellow rangatahi in the "Vax'd As" video to get their shots at Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui A Orotu's clinic at Napier Pak'nSave between 9 am-7 pm on Saturday.

The video takes a light-hearted look at getting the jab.

Marley mentions his mum and dad both getting the jab, and his sister getting the jab too - and "she's afraid of needles".

Click the image to view the article and video on the NZ Hearld website.

He turned 12 this week and is also looking to get his vaccination soon.

The producer Alice McKinley said Marley was "a little star".

"The video was a community effort, and we did it from start to finish in 48 hours," she said.

"The reason we wanted to create a video was because we wanted something more relatable, something with humour in it, and we wanted to do it through the eyes of Marley.

"We wanted to do something positive rather than boring informational, static stuff."

Marley's mother Danielle said Marley was always destined to be in the public eye in some form.

"He was born in 2009, at 1 pm on Taradale Rd, in the back of a car. We figured, with the way he arrived, he was born to be a star."

She said she liked the "lightness" of the video.

"Marley really enjoyed it as well. It doesn't all have to be doom and gloom."

This story is accredited to Hawkes Bay Today by Sahiban Hyde