The time for New Zealanders to wait for a Covid-19 booster shot has been reduced from six months to four months, for better protection against the Omicron variant.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield met with Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins on Friday to discuss a reduction, with Hipkins confirming the change on Tuesday afternoon.
The shorter timeframe will begin in January and Hipkins says Government will continue to follow health advice if it recommends the gap in doses should reduce further.
“The advice from the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group is that shortening the period between the second and booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine is an appropriate and pragmatic step and is in line with what other countries are doing,” says Hipkins.
“Data is emerging that a booster dose with Pfizer provides better protection than two-dose course against the Omicron variant.
“While two doses is likely to hold a good degree of protection against severe disease from Omicron, a third dose is likely to offer great protection against transmission of Covid-19 and reducing the chance of more serious infections.”
Hipkins says over 82 per cent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be eligible for a booster by the end of February 2022.
Eligible border and health workers will be required to get a booster dose by the end of January, or not later than six months after their second dose.
Chris Hipkins made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon. (Source: 1News)
It will then apply to all other workers covered by a vaccination mandate from March 1 2022.
“More than half of border workers eligible for a booster at 6 months have already had it – which is a great response – but we need to get the numbers up quickly," says Hipkins.
“Cabinet has therefore agreed in principle that where workers are required to be vaccinated, that this mandate will also extend to boosters.
At this stage, there are 22 Omicron cases in New Zealand, with no new cases detected on Tuesday.
“We know that the most likely place for Omicron to enter the community is at the border, so we want all border and eligible health workers to have the extra protection the booster vaccine provides to protect them and their families,” says Hipkins.
Original advice from Pfizer was for a six-month wait for a booster shot.
Bloomfield on Friday said it was important people get the protection from the booster at the right time in case Omicron does arrive into the community.
SHARE ME