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Older people and those with underlying health conditions in Dunedin and Invercargill will, from this week, be invited to book an appointment for the Covid-19 vaccine as the rollout continues in the South.

Group 3, in the Ministry of Health’s sequencing framework, began receiving vaccinations in the Southern district in Gore on May 17 and in Queenstown on May 24.

Group 3 includes those aged 65 or over, those with a relevant underlying health condition, disabled people, pregnant people and adults in custodial settings.

The Southern district vaccination programme surpassed 35,000 vaccines earlier this week.

The Southern District Health Board (SDHB) said in a statement today more rural areas in the South will join "in the coming weeks".

“We have almost reached the end of our Group 2 cohort, which means most of our front-line health workers and people living in high-risk places are now protected against Covid-19. This is excellent progress and an important step towards protecting our community.”

The rollout at a glance

Anyone in group one or two has not yet received their vaccine is still able to book in for an appointment.

SDHB Covid-19 vaccine rollout incident controller Hamish Brown said the staged approach to the rollout in the South used an invite-only model.

There are about 100,000 people in the Southern district who fit into Group 3, so it will take some time, he said.

In the first instance, people in Group 3 in Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown, and Gore will receive invitations from health care providers such as Southern DHB’s vaccine rollout team, WellSouth primary health network, general practices and Māori health providers, by text message over the coming weeks. 

When people receive their invitation, they can book appointments for both doses of the vaccine online. An option to book appointments via an 0800 number will be provided for those who do not have internet or mobile phone access.

The new booking system requires users to book first and second doses simultaneously, ensuring people leave the required minimum 21 days between doses.