New Zealand PM lays out COVID-19 vaccine plan after facing criticism over delay

After facing criticism from her government, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern on June 17 announced details of a COVID-19 vaccine campaign and said that the country will take up to the end of the year to inoculate all those eligible for vaccinations. According to New Zealand’s local media outlet, NewsHub, Ardern revealed that the vaccine roll-out will begin on July 28 and it will be staggered in age bands. She gave a rough roadmap for the roll-out of the Pfizer vaccine across the country and informed that the government will inoculate from oldest to youngest people eligible from the end of July.  

Ardern’s announcement comes after the government was criticised for a lagging vaccine campaign, which has so far targetted border workers and vulnerable populations. On Thursday, the New Zealand PM remained confident that the vaccine would be offered to the entire population by the end of 2021. Ardern said that the bulk of supply needed to vaccinated everyone would be received by the end of October, meaning the roll-out would need to be staggered. 

Vaccine drive to begin from July 28

As per reports, she said that people aged 60 and over will be able to get the vaccine from July 28. People aged over 55 will be able to get inoculated from August 11. Further, Ardern added that beyond this, the timing becomes less certain and will depend on shipments of the Pfizer vaccine. She said that it was “broadly” expected that for people aged over 45, the vaccine would be available from mid-to late-August and for people aged over 35, from mid-to-late-September. 

“Based on the delivery and supply of vacancies we are working towards taking to the end of the year for vaccinating all those who are eligible," Ardern told a news conference, adding that the drive was going faster than expected.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health will send invitations to book a vaccine appointment as each age cohort becomes eligible. The Prime Minister informed that the invitation will come either by email, text message, mail or by phone. She added that recipients can use ‘Book My Vaccine’ system to book the time and location for both courses of the Pfizer vaccine. Ardern said a new national vaccination call centre will take bookings over the phone, for people who don’t use online services.

(Image: AP)