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Waikato District Health Board |
COVID-19 VACCINATION UPDATE
8 March 2021
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“Amohia ake te ora o te iwi, ka puta ki te wheiao.”
“To protect the wellbeing of our people is paramount”
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu
COVID-19 vaccines will play a critical role in protecting New Zealanders’ health and wellbeing. Over time, this will be a big step back to normality. They’re free and everyone in New Zealand is eligible.
Welcome to the first pānui for the Waikato DHB COVID-19 vaccination programme. We will be providing regular updates for our staff, partners, and community throughout the Waikato.
The Ministry of Health is leading the COVID-19 vaccination programme and is working closely with district health boards to carefully plan and deliver the roll-out across New Zealand. It is the single biggest logistical exercise our health system has tackled. There will be enough vaccine for everyone in New Zealand.
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Making sure COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective
Before any vaccine is approved for use in New Zealand, it must meet international standards and local requirements for quality, safety and efficacy. Detailed information on the approval process is available on the Government’s COVID-19 pages.
New Zealand is securing COVID-19 vaccines through Advance Purchase Agreements with pharmaceutical suppliers. The Government has agreements in place with four suppliers.
Different vaccines have been secured to allow for the possibility that some vaccines may be more suited to different population groups or areas.
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Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is currently the only vaccine approved for use in New Zealand. It’s been approved for people 16 years or older. Two doses are needed, with at least 21 days between each dose. It’s very important to get the second dose to provide the best protection against catching the virus.
The Ministry of Health has provided resources on how this vaccine works, its efficacy, possible side effects and more.
The Pfizer vaccine was given MedSafe approval on 10 February.
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COVID-19 vaccine roll-out
The first phase of the national programme started on Saturday 20 February with COVID-19 vaccinations being given to border and managed isolation and quarantine workers, followed by their household contacts.
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COVID-19 vaccinations begin in the Waikato
An incredible amount of work has occurred over the past three weeks by our Waikato COVID-19 vaccine project team. This included the recruitment and training of our workforce, setting up booking processes and systems, a contact centre, logistics and vaccine cold-chain, analytics and the launch of a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Hamilton.
The first vaccinations were given in the Waikato on 25 February, starting with the vaccinators themselves.
The first to receive the vaccine was public health nurse Dawn Tamati.
She says it’s an important first step in the fight against COVID-19 and protecting the community from the virus.
“I feel quite privileged to be the first one to get the vaccine. I truly believe in immunisations, they’re so important and I feel like I’m doing my part. Immunisations are about keeping our whānau, our hapu, our iwi and our communities well, and I feel like I’m doing that today.”
Leanne Smith administered the first injection and says it was “quite an honour” to do it.
“It’s been such a wait for something that we’ve all wanted and to actually start vaccinating is exciting. I felt humbled to be asked to be the first in Waikato to give the vaccine.”
She says the arrival of the vaccine is a significant milestone for the country and the region.
Ikimoke Tamaki-Takarei manages cultural intervention for the region’s managed isolation facilities and also received his first dose today.
He says it’s critical for border workers to be the first line of protection for the communities and vulnerable populations.
“As part of border control for COVID-19, it’s our responsibility to keep our families safe. We go home to our families every night. I return home to my new mokopuna, so it’s my responsibility to keep her safe, to keep my children safe, and my immediate family safe,” he says.
“A lot of our vulnerable whānau and our kaumatua suffer from some sort of respiratory illness, so we have to be able to protect them by getting a vaccine.”
Household contacts of managed isolation workers will receive their immunisations by appointment at the dedicated vaccination centre. At the time of the first vaccination the second appointment is arranged for three weeks later.
The start of the rollout marks a significant milestone in our response against COVID-19. The finer details of the wider public rollout are being finalised and information on when and how people can get their vaccinations will be announced later in the year.
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Number of people vaccinated in the Waikato
7 March
1,303
Of the Group 1 people, over 75% of the MIF workers have been vaccinated.
12% of people vaccinated identified as Māori.
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When will you get a vaccination?
Details around the order in which everyone in New Zealand will receive their vaccination are still being finalised by the Government. We will provide more detail once plans are confirmed.
Over time, everyone in New Zealand will have access to a vaccine. The aim is to protect as many people in New Zealand as possible during the coming year so that the population immunity becomes effective.
The lists below show the order in which people will receive the vaccine to ensure the right people are vaccinated at the right time.
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| Group 1 | started in the Waikato 25 February 2021 |
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| Group 2 | from 1 April |
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| Group 3 | from June / July |
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Opportunity for early vaccination for some Group 2 workers
The local rollout of the vaccine has been coordinated by a committed team working quickly to make sure this precious resource can be provided to the priority groups.
The Pfizer vaccine has a short shelf life, generally less than four days from arrival in the Waikato. Once taken out of the cold chain environment, the vaccine must be used within six hours
Because of this, it is important that we carefully balance our vaccination capacity with the number of people who come for a vaccination.
Occasionally there may be times when there are some vaccine appointments are not filled in our clinic days. If you are a worker in the Groups 1 and 2 you may be contacted to be offered your vaccination at short notice. The second appointment for anyone taking up this offer will be scheduled as per normal, three weeks later.
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Partnering for vaccine delivery in our Waikato localities
Waikato PHOs, Kaupapa Māori providers and NGOs participated in workshops two weeks ago to discuss the roll-out of vaccine to their health workforce staff. Some providers were able to visit our COVID-19 Vaccination Centre to get a good understanding of what is involved with the administration of the Pfizer vaccine.
Next, detailed planning meetings will take place in each Waikato DHB locality to determine the best approach and roles of each organisation in the process.
It may be that local providers have trained vaccinators and/or a suitable facility and locally trained administrators and kaimanāki. This is very much the locality approach we are seeking to enable, co-developing services with local leadership based on a defined standard and shared goal.
Current status
For planning purposes, our PHOs, Kaupapa Māori providers, and other community providers have been sent a request to provide the number of their staff within Group 2 and location of these people.
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COVID-19 vaccine, Influenza vaccine and MMR catchup vaccination programme
Which one do you have first?
COVID-19 vaccine first for DHB staff followed by Influenza vaccine and MMR catchup vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccine should not be administered within 2-4 weeks of other vaccinations (see note). For Waikato DHB staff in Group 1 and 2, the DHB’s priority is to protect our staff from COVID-19. If you are in Group 1 or 2, please have the COVID-19 vaccine first (both doses) and two weeks later the Influenza vaccine can be offered to you.
Other employers with staff in Group 1 or 2 will need to decide what their policy will be.
Influenza and MMR vaccinations can go ahead for other people who are not scheduled for COVID-19 vaccination until later in the year.
Note: It is recommended that the following time gaps between vaccines are kept:
- At least a two-week gap between the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine
- A four-week gap between the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine.
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Links
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Ministry of Health
Latest news on vaccine information, including the details of the
COVID-19 vaccine planning and delivery groups
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Medsafe
Medsafe has a section on its website explaining our processes around
assessing the quality, efficacy and safety of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19
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Copyright © Waikato District Health Board, All rights reserved.
Where to find us:
Pembroke Street, Hamilton, 3204
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