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The government agreed to buy 1.5 million doses of a possible coronavirus vaccine from one of the main contenders to produce one.
(File image).
Photo: AFP
The agreement, which is the first of its kind for the government, is subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals.
The amount would be enough for 750,000 people and if all goes well in rehearsals, it might even be ready to start early next year.
In a statement, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said the vaccine, from Pfizer and BioNTech, was one of the options being considered, and that there would likely be more announcements next month.
“Pfizer has said that they are making good progress with the development of a Covid-19 vaccine.
“Subject to clinical and regulatory success, and as long as the vaccine is approved for use here in New Zealand by Medsafe, some doses may be available to us in the early part of 2021.
“The additional agreements will ensure that once the portfolio is completed, we will have enough Covid-19 vaccines for the entire population.”
The agreement is part of the Covid-19 vaccination strategy, which also includes contributions to the global COVAX facility that could meet up to 50 percent of New Zealand’s needs.
“A key objective of our portfolio approach is to ensure that we have flexibility and choice when it comes to securing the right vaccines for New Zealand and our Pacific neighbors,” said Woods.
Decisions about who would have access to the first available vaccines have yet to be made.
In a statement, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said that several factors would influence that decision, including data from trials on the suitability of each vaccine for certain age groups.
“Currently, the Ministry of Health is working to determine how the implementation of an Immunization Program would be.
“We have set aside $ 66.3 million for medical supplies and infrastructure to ensure New Zealand is ready to launch a Covid-19 immunization program as soon as we have a safe and effective vaccine.”
Most of that investment would be to provide supplies of PPE, needles, syringes and swabs, and freezers to store a vaccine for New Zealand and the Pacific countries, Hipkins said.
