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On 8 March 2021, New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern asserted 2021 as the ‘Year of the Vaccine’ and assured that the government is leaving no stone unturned to beat this ghastly pandemic.
Source: Copyright © 2021 Kalkine Media Pty Ltd
Government Procures Additional COVID-19 Jabs
With the entire country having moved to Alert Level 1, and Auckland at Alert Level 2 since Sunday, the NZ government has signaled an agreement for the advance purchase of additional shots of 8.5 million Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, thereby securing adequate doses to administer its whole population. These vaccines are anticipated to arrive in Aotearoa during the second half of the year.
According to the previous agreement with Pfizer, the government procured about 1.5 million doses, sufficient to vaccinate 750k people.
ALSO READ: COVID-19 Update: Auckland Moves to Alert Level 2
Sufficient Inoculations for The Entire Country
The latest purchase brings the total to roughly about 10 million doses, enough to inoculate NZ’s entire population of about 5 million people with 2 jabs of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Chris Hipkins, Covid-19 Response Minister, voiced that the government is planning to immunise the public from the mid-year and is also working towards donating its excess vaccine shots to the Pacific and other developing nations. These include Realm countries of Niue, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands and other neighbours like Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
Ministry of Health expressed that the public healthcare staff and medics, as well as the contact tracers, are working round the clock providing umpteenth support and guidance during these dreadful times to all the sections of the society.
Pfizer-BioNTech To Be NZ’s Primary Vaccine Provider
Source: Copyright © 2021 Kalkine Media Pty Ltd
Further, NZ PM stated that, after taking due consideration and analysing the result that Pfizer is 95% effective against the deadly pandemic, the government decided to make Pfizer-BioNTech, the nation’s principal vaccine provider.
ALSO READ: Two COVID-19 vaccines that are helping the world get over the pandemic
Humanity First for Ardern
When asked about the price negotiated for the COVID-19 vaccine deal, Jacinda Ardern affirmed that no vaccine is above human life, and her government is determined to provide inoculation to its each citizen.
NZ COVID-19 Status
According to the latest reports, the status of COVID 19 cases in New Zealand as of 7 March 2021 are as follows:
