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The first batch of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine will arrive next week and vaccination of border workers is expected to begin next Saturday.
Speaking after a business event this morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government hopes to vaccinate this workforce of 12,000 people in two to three weeks.
The next group to receive the vaccine would be the domestic contacts of border workers.
Ardern said dedicated teams would be administering the vaccines to border workers at their workplaces.
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Family members will be asked to travel to vaccination centers to receive their injections.
Healthcare and essential care workers are expected to receive vaccinations through the second trimester, along with the most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says vaccinations of border workers will begin next Saturday.
The wider vaccination will begin in the second half of 2020
Vaccination of the general population is expected to begin in the second half of the year, Ardern said.
“The vaccine is important to protect our health, our economy, our current freedoms,” he said.
“This will be the largest vaccination campaign in New Zealand history.
“It’s going to take all year to reach everyone.”
Oded Balilty / AP
The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine received final approval from the government earlier this week. (File photo)
Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said the first shipment was expected to be in “tens of thousands” and the country’s advance purchase agreement was for just under a quarter of a million doses in the first quarter.
The government will only assume ownership of the vaccines once they are transferred to its refrigerators, and Hipkins could not comment on how Pfizer was transporting the batches.
“They have asked us not to share specific information on how they are getting here.”
When asked what the need for secrecy was, Ardern said there was an element of safety involved and that Pfizer had to juggle a number of factors to ensure vaccines were kept below 70 degrees Celsius.
THINGS
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that border workers will begin receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine starting on February 20.
Hipkins said the government expects to receive 226,000 courses by the end of March, divided into multiple installments.
He said 750,000 courses are expected during the first three quarters of this year.
Most of the government freezers are in Auckland, with a few others in Christchurch, where some of the initial batches will be transferred.
The vaccine can be stored at a higher temperature (2 ° C-8 ° C) for up to five days and still be effective.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield said pregnant women should consult their GP if they have questions about vaccination.
If a border worker refuses to receive the vaccine, Ardern said he would not be fired, but could be moved to a position that does not involve possible contact with the virus.
“I don’t anticipate it being a big problem, these workers absolutely understand how important it is to keep themselves and their family members safe.”
The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine received final government approval earlier this week, and an information campaign will begin next week to encourage people to get vaccinated.
On Wednesday, Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins said that the cabinet had confirmed the approval of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and that preparations are underway to launch the vaccine once it reaches the shores of New Zealand.
Hipkins said that while the process for the Pfizer vaccine is “relatively straightforward,” there are “a lot” of details to consider for other vaccines New Zealand is looking for, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax, totaling more than 20 million doses. .
The government ordered 1.5 million Pfizer vaccines, enough for 750,000 people, which the company confirmed last week will be in New Zealand before the end of March.
The Pfizer vaccine will first be released to frontline and frontier workers, which include nurses, cleaners, and security personnel in managed isolation facilities.
Ardern previously said that while the government would not force front-line personnel to take the hit, he expected uptake to be high.
Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield said the first 100 vaccinators were being trained to administer the vaccine through a two-hour online course.
None of the trials conducted with the Pfizer vaccine included pregnant women, so those considering the injections should speak with their GP first, Bloomfield said.
