Government releases Covid-19 vaccine delivery schedule, elderly and people with pre-existing conditions to be prioritised
Chris Hipkins has unveiled New Zealand's Covid-19 vaccination timetable.
Read more in Thomas Manch's story below:
The Government intends to dole out the Covid-19 vaccine to about half of New Zealand by the end of June, and the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions are “priority populations” to receive early access.
A long-awaited schedule for the Pfizer vaccine roll-out was published by Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday, and showed the country carved into four groups.
“This is a balanced plan that prioritises reducing the chance of future outbreaks while protecting our elders, those with underlying health conditions and those who live in locations where we know outbreaks have occurred,” Hipkins said in a statement.
The first group to receive the vaccine, border workers and their families, would be completed by the end of March.
The second, 480,000 frontline healthcare workers and people living in “high-risk settings” has already begun and would continue until May.
The 234,000 people living in these “high-risk settings” include older people and people with pre-existing health conditions in the Counties Manukau District Health Board (DHB) area, people in residential aged-care facilities, and older people living in a family environment that poses a similar risk to aged-care homes.
“Anyone who lives in the Counties Manukau DHB area who is 65 and older or who has an underlying health condition is also in Group 2. This recognises that there are many border operations and MIQ facilities and their workforces based in this area,” Hipkins said.
The third round of the roll-outs would be for all other people aged 75 years old, then 65 years old, then people with pre-existing health conditions which include heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, respiratory conditions, kidney disease, and cancer.
The Government hopes to begin vaccinating this group – 1.7 million people in total – in May.
The fourth group is the remainder of the population, 2 million people who will start receiving the vaccine from July.
What do you think of the schedule for the Pfizer vaccine roll-out?
*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.
Rubbish bins:
Recycle collection tomorrow so put your bins out in the morning, It is windy out there and your rubbish is blowing everywhere? Are you human with a brain or just ST- - -D?
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
-
9% Yes! New Year, New Me
-
21.7% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
-
69.3% Nah - not for me
By-election for Otara-Papatoetoe area
Just to let everyone know that we have another by-election happening, and here is the reason why. Below are details and dates, so keep an eye on your letter boxes.
The Manukau Court’s Ruling
The Manukau District Court determined that the Papatoetoe subdivision result of the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board election was invalid, ruling that the outcome had been “materially affected” by voting irregularities. Judge Richard McIlraith found that the scale and nature of the irregularities met the legal threshold required to void an election under New Zealand’s local electoral laws.
In his decision, Judge McIlraith stated that the evidence presented — including reports of stolen voting papers, fraudulent use of ballots, and other procedural irregularities — was sufficient to conclude that the integrity of the election had been compromised. The court noted that at least 79 voting papers were identified as having been cast without the rightful voter’s knowledge during a judicially supervised examination of ballot boxes.
While the judge acknowledged that the election had been administered “properly and in accordance with all requirements” by Independent Election Services and the electoral officer, he concluded that the fraudulent activity originated outside the official process and nonetheless impacted the final result to a degree that required the election to be voided.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that a new election must be held, with Auckland Council confirming that the fresh poll must be completed by 9 April 2026
Loading…
