Tagged: vaccination

Featured image: New Zealanders are super-connected. When restrictions lift in Auckland, it won’t take much to amplify Delta’s spread

New Zealanders are super-connected. When restrictions lift in Auckland, it won’t take much to amplify Delta’s spread - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 27, 2021 •

Dion O’Neale, University of Auckland; Emily Harvey, University of Auckland; James Gilmour, University of Auckland, and Steven Turnbull, University of Auckland   As Aotearoa New Zealand moves from elimination to suppression, we need to understand how this could change the nature of transmission from Auckland’s Delta outbreak to the rest of New Zealand. Aucklanders can expect a three-step easing … Read More

Featured image: New Zealand’s mass vaccination event lifts uptake but highlights dangerous inequities as the country prepares to open up

New Zealand’s mass vaccination event lifts uptake but highlights dangerous inequities as the country prepares to open up - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 22, 2021 •

Jesse Whitehead, University of Waikato   New Zealand’s mass vaccination event last Saturday, when more than 130,000 people turned up to get their first or second dose, surpassed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s expectations. Super Saturday and a televised “vaxathon” were part of the government’s push towards a 90% vaccination goal. About 85% of New Zealanders have now had their first … Read More

Featured image: No, COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect women’s fertility

No, COVID-19 vaccines don’t affect women’s fertility - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 13, 2021 •

Michelle Wise, University of Auckland   Some women are holding off on being vaccinated against COVID-19 because of concerns the jab could affect their fertility, at times taking to social media to voice their concerns. Anti-vaccination campaigners appear to be fuelling these fears and misleading women into thinking the vaccine may affect their chance of getting pregnant now or in … Read More

Featured image: Why we must not allow COVID to become endemic in New Zealand

Why we must not allow COVID to become endemic in New Zealand - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 12, 2021 •

John Donne Potter, Massey University; Graham Le Gros, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Rod Jackson, University of Auckland   As New Zealand switches from elimination to suppression, those who argue that COVID-19 will become endemic and part of our lives either do not understand or ignore what this would actually mean. Elimination has always been a … Read More

Featured image: Urgent measures needed to allow the safe re-opening of Auckland schools

Urgent measures needed to allow the safe re-opening of Auckland schools - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Oct 11, 2021 •

Dr Rachel Webb, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Pip Anderson, Dr Emma Best, Dr Alison Leversha and Dr Subha Rajanaidu* In this blog we describe the range of urgent measures that are needed to facilitate a safe return to schools in Auckland and other regions of the country where there is ongoing community transmission of COVID-19. These include very high vaccination … Read More

Featured image: The Need for an Updated Strategic Approach to Covid-19 Control in Aotearoa NZ

The Need for an Updated Strategic Approach to Covid-19 Control in Aotearoa NZ - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Oct 09, 2021 •

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker* The NZ Government appears to have drifted into an unclear strategic approach to Covid-19 control. In this blog we outline one potential way forward: a regional strategic approach that considers “regional suppression” and “regional elimination”. To maximise the success of this strategy, NZ would need to ensure tighter internal borders. Fortunately, … Read More

Featured image: The COVID-zero strategy may be past its use-by date, but New Zealand still has a vaccination advantage

The COVID-zero strategy may be past its use-by date, but New Zealand still has a vaccination advantage - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 06, 2021 •

Michael Plank, University of Canterbury   The announcement today that New Zealand will introduce a vaccination certificate by November is welcome news. Whether by “carrot” or “stick”, vaccination rates must keep climbing, as it is now likely case numbers will climb under alert level 3 conditions in Auckland. We’ve seen a growing number of mystery cases over the … Read More

Featured image: NZ needs a more urgent vaccination plan — with nearly 80% now single-dosed, the majority will support it

NZ needs a more urgent vaccination plan — with nearly 80% now single-dosed, the majority will support it - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 05, 2021 •

Rod Jackson, University of Auckland   With vaccination rates still too low in Auckland and around Aotearoa New Zealand, and with unexpected cases still showing up, there are few options ahead of today’s government decision on alert levels. Until there are high levels of immunity, any relaxation of restrictions within Aotearoa when Delta is in the community will dramatically … Read More

Featured image: Vax and vacation? Why that Pacific island holiday will still mean ‘traveller beware’

Vax and vacation? Why that Pacific island holiday will still mean ‘traveller beware’ - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 29, 2021 •

Apisalome Movono, Massey University and Regina Scheyvens, Massey University   Pacific Island countries are betting big on vaccination as a strategy for resuming tourism by Christmas and bringing much needed relief for their struggling economies. For much of the Pacific, tourism has long been the goose that laid the golden egg. But the pandemic has underlined how fragile and … Read More

Featured image: New Zealand has ramped up vaccination rates, but too many people remain concerned about vaccine safety

New Zealand has ramped up vaccination rates, but too many people remain concerned about vaccine safety - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 21, 2021 •

Stephen Croucher, Massey University; Doug Ashwell, Massey University, and Jo Cullinane, Massey University   After five weeks in the strictest lockdown, Auckland will move to level 3 restrictions from midnight on Tuesday, for at least two weeks. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision was based on low community spread and an accelerated vaccination rollout. A targeted vaccination campaign will … Read More