COVID-19: New Zealand's 'Vaxathon' sets new record of vaccination; over 1,20,000 get jabs

New Zealand on Saturday has set a record of inoculating COVID-19 vaccine during the ongoing vaccination festival called "Vaxathon". According to the official figures, more than 1,20,000 people got their shots by late afternoon. Notably, the country had created a record of administering 93,000 COVID shots in a single day in August this year. The record-breaking milestone was formulated after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced "Vaxathon" to encourage people to inoculate against the coronavirus. To accomplish her goal, musicians, sports stars and celebrities pitched in for the "Vaxathon" event, which was broadcast on television and online for eight hours straight. 

Ardern also pressed a TV fundraising organisation to help New Zealand against its biggest threat since the pandemic began. It is worth pointing that the Prime Minister's plan worked perfectly as it has crossed the initial target of administering 1,00,000 jabs to its citizens. As the plan got a good response, Ardern upped the target to 1,50,000 after the first target was met. Interestingly, New Zealanders boarded the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane with a boarding pass of a business class at the city’s international airport. However, the boarding pass of "light NZVAX" was not meant for any holiday trip, but to get a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the booth of a business-class seat. 

PM Jacinda Ardern's appearance at vaccination centres 

Singer Lorde beamed in from abroad, saying she couldn’t wait to come back home to play a concert and have everyone get sweaty and dance. "I am the first person to admit that I find getting injections really icky, but ever since I was a kid, I have treated myself by going to the bakery after an injection, normally for a custard tart," she said. "So you could do that." Moreover, Jacinda Ardern also chatted with motorists at a drive-through vaccination centre in Wellington, where her personal presence has encouraged the New Zealanders to join the mega festival.  

New Zealand lockdown saved the country during summer

It is worth mentioning that the country had managed to weed out the virus completely in February, but the slow vaccination has again put the country in a strict lockdown. The move into the strictest lockdown underscored the vastly different approach New Zealand has taken to the virus than most other nations, attempting to suppress its spread rather than eliminate it entirely. According to the reports, New Zealand has also been slower than other developed nations. Only 83% of the population have had at least one shot and 62% are fully vaccinated. Ardern said that the country needs to vaccinate 90% of the population to avoid further lockdowns.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP