This update seeks to bring the sector up to date with the current planning of the Taranaki COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and to direct key health care groups to important information about vaccination training and support.
Rollout sequencing
Taranaki DHB is following the Government’s targeted rollout of the vaccine which aims to reach two million New Zealanders who are most at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19, and those most at risk of getting very sick from the virus.
The rollout sequence is as follows:
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Group 1
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- 50,000 border and MIQ workers, their household contacts and the people they live with. This started in February 2021.
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Group 2
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- Approximately 480,000 frontline workers and people living in high-risk settings. Starting with the 57,000 healthcare workers on community frontlines, and then moving through to healthcare workers protecting our most vulnerable and some priority populations. This started in February 2021 and will continue through to May 2021.
- Anyone who lives in the Counties Manukau DHB area who is 65 and older or who has an underlying health condition is also in Group 2.
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Group 3
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- Priority populations. Approximately 1.7 million people who are at higher risk if they catch COVID-19. This is planned to start in May 2021.
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Group 4
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- The remainder of the general population – approximately two million people which is planned to start in the middle of the year.
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The rollout in Taranaki
It’s been a positive start to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Taranaki, with over 450 people getting protected from the virus with a free vaccine so far.
Our focus has been on vaccinating Group 1 - the border workforce, those they live with over the age of 16, and some health care workers who are helping to administer the vaccine. This service is currently being provided by Taranaki DHB’s public health nursing team and support staff in collaboration with Port agencies and employers.
Planning for rollout to Groups 2, 3 and 4 in Taranaki
Taranaki DHB has a dedicated COVID-19 Vaccination Programme working group who are responsible for the planning, coordination and delivery of the vaccine to the Taranaki population.
As we near the completion of vaccinating Group 1 we are actively planning the rollout of Group 2 (starting with healthcare workers) which we anticipate will be operational by the end of April. Planning is also underway for Groups 3 and 4.
Scaling up the vaccination programme workforce is a huge focus, including recruiting more clinical and administration staff to meet Ministry of Health requirements to deliver the programme effectively. We are meeting regularly with key stakeholders around delivery of the programme to ensure we have a safe and equitable approach for the different communities in our region.
Health and safety of COVID-19 vaccine
Medsafe only grants consent for a vaccine to be used in New Zealand once it is satisfied it’s safe and effective enough to use. All COVID-19 vaccines will go through the same safety test and must meet the same robust standards.
It is recommended that the following gaps between vaccines:
- At least a two-week gap between the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine
- A four-week gap between the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine.
Where to access information about the COVID-19 Vaccine
There are two main channels of information about the vaccine you can access:
Unite Against COVID-19 website - https://covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccines/
Ministry of Health website - https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines
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