Around 575,000 vaccinations are required for the Southern population – two doses for everyone aged 16 and over, administered three weeks apart.
The first locals to receive the vaccine were port workers and their household contacts, a group that numbered close to 1000 people. The workers were from Port Otago, South Port and NZAS Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, which has an international berth.
Now, work has begun vaccinating frontline health workers. All health staff who have contact with patients are eligible for vaccination, regardless of which organisation they work for. This includes those who work in aged residential care.
People for whom COVID-19 poses a higher risk can expect to start receiving vaccinations from May, followed by the rest of the population from July.
This prioritisation for receiving the vaccine has been set out in national guidance from the Ministry of Health.
“Having faced the challenges and disruption caused by COVID-19 over the past year, it is a great relief be rolling out a vaccine to protect our population,” says Southern DHB Chief Executive, Chris Fleming.
Due to the magnitude of the historic rollout, it requires a system-wide effort from Southern DHB, WellSouth PHO, primary care, rural hospitals, pharmacies and more.
There are some limitations around storage and use of the vaccine, which needs to be kept in super-low temperature freezers and used within five days of leaving that storage.
“It is a complex logistical task, given the sheer volume of people we need to reach, the geographical size of our district and the storage constraints of the Pfizer vaccine,” says Southern COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Incident Controller, Hamish Brown.
“We are working together to accomplish this important task that offers us a pathway to the safety and freedoms we have been missing for the past year. We are thankful to for the public’s support and understanding as we work to deliver this important vaccine to our community,” he says.
Check out these other Better Health South Stories:
Board Update - April 2021
Disability Strategy launched
Junction Health prioritising maternal health
Suture skills shared
Social support for NICU families
Wishbone Walk fundraiser
Borewater information sessions
