Dapper research and enterprise deputy vice-chancellor Richard Blaikie has pledged to forgo haircuts until a vaccine is proved to have scientific merit, has gained approval and is "in use somewhere".
Prof Blaikie expected his untamed mane would become annoying — and that was partly the point.
"It is my personal reminder not to be complacent," he said.
When some restrictions were lifted, people could go about their daily lives without too many hassles, but Prof Blaikie was wary of relaxing too much before the battle was won.
He learnt the importance of vigilance after living in Christchurch at the time of the earthquake in September 2010, he said. The city embraced the rapid recovery to normality, only to be hit by the more devastating quake in February 2011.
The physicist grew a beard during the Alert Level 4 lockdown in autumn. He took note of the queues outside barber shops when restrictions were relaxed and decided hairdressers did not at that stage need him to join in.
He has received polite inquiries about what is going on with his hair.
Responses to his explanation had been kind, he said.
Prof Blaikie is optimistic a Covid-19 solution could be near.
Many possible vaccines were in clinical trials and some were being tested on thousands of people.
Trials usually might take two years or more but because of the global Covid-19 crisis, if a trial showed good results, the timeframe could be shortened, he said. He discounted the vaccine produced by Russia.
The University of Otago is playing a leading role in New Zealand’s efforts to develop a vaccine or to be part of an international solution.
Prof Blaikie said that his predicament could help colleagues such as Miguel Quinones-Mateu and James Ussher, from the depart-
ment of microbiology and immunology, keep their motivation levels high.
It could also be a clever way for him to glean from infectious diseases specialist David Murdoch how the development and roll-out of a vaccine was progressing.
"I could surreptitiously ask him if I need to go the Yellow Pages for a hairstylist," Prof Blaikie said.
He conceded he might yet adjust the rules of his pledge if, for example, therapeutic remedies turned out to be effective.
Prof Blaikie was "a child of the ’70s" and his hair had been shoulder-length.
"I don’t think my hair’s going to get down to my waist — there’s lots of people working on a vaccine."
