COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Strategy

The Ministry of Health, (MOH), is currently working through the detail of implementing a COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy for disabled peoples. The follow is what has been confirmed so far:

• The COVID-19 vaccination is a tool to help build your immunity to the COVID-19 virus and reduce your risks from the virus.

• MOH expect vaccines to be delivered to the first group of people in the second quarter of 2021 with the first priority group likely to be border control and managed isolation quarantine workers.

• Medsafe will approve any vaccines MOH distribute, so it meets strict health and safety requirements.

• COVID-19 vaccines will be free of charge.

• They will not be mandatory for the New Zealand public.

• There will be a sequenced rollout plan so that the appropriate vaccines are made available to people at the right time.

• MOH can’t say how vaccines will impact our borders at this time.

MOH has also set up a Vaccine Strategic Advisory Group consisting of external stakeholder representatives from across the health and disability sector. Disabled people, people with a chronic illness, staff in residential care, and carers of a disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill are all considered part of the phased vaccine roll-out across New Zealand.

MOH is committed to engaging with the disability community and will look to follow up in more detail with appropriate representatives and collective bodies as we get closer to the roll-out.

As decisions are made regarding the vaccine rollout, MOH will have a straightforward operations procedure to ensure that the disability community is well informed.

More information can be found here: https://covid19.govt.nz/vaccine