Dr Ramon pink - getting vaccinated
The best way to help keep you and your aiga healthy is to get vaccinated. With all the information and misinformation around about the new COVID-19 Vaccine, it is timely to share what we know:
For a vaccine to be approved for use in New Zealand they must meet strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness. They must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks all other licensed medicines go through.
So far, millions of people have been given a COVID-19 Vaccine and reports of serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, have been very rare. No long-term complications have been reported.
You can’t catch COVID-19 from the vaccine – it’s not a live vaccine.
The COVID-19 Vaccine will be free to everyone in New Zealand – regardless of your visa or citizenship status. Any information collected will not be used for immigration purposes.
We’re expecting enough vaccines for everyone in New Zealand – over 5 million people. New Zealand is also buying vaccines for those in the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, Sāmoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.
Vaccines will be rolled out through a COVID-19 Immunisation programme as supply becomes available. Border and managed isolation workers are most at risk so are getting the first opportunity for vaccination. Over coming months more and more groups will become eligible.
But it’s not just the COVID-19 Vaccine that’s important – the flu and MMR (measles) vaccines are also key to keeping our community healthy.
Influenza can be a serious illness that can lead to hospitalisation and even death. Getting a flu vaccination is a small thing that can make a big difference. It’s free for 65 year olds and over and anyone under 65 with chronic conditions.
Measles is also a serious disease that can make people very sick and can be fatal. It’s about 8 times more contagious than COVID-19 so spreads fast. Getting immunised is the best way to prevent measles from spreading. The measles immunisation is called MMR. Lots of people aged between 15 and 30 years didn’t get fully immunised when they were children, so it can be a good idea for people to ask their doctor if they've had two doses of the MMR vaccine as a child. Just like the COVID-19 Vaccine, the MMR vaccine is free.
Vaccination has prevented millions of deaths over the years - according to the World Health Organization vaccine programmes prevented at least 10 million deaths between 2010 and 2015. It's one of the best things we can do to keep our community healthy and well.