COVID-19 General Updates

General updates

Extension of additional Covid-19 boosters from 1st May 2023 - updated 15May23

The additional COVID-19 booster is available for:

people aged 30 and over
people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 aged 16 to 29
pregnant people aged 16 to 29 years
young people aged 12 to 15 who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, with a prescription.
Boosters are especially recommended for:
all people aged 65 years and over
Māori and Pacific people aged 50 and over
people living in aged or disability residential care facilities
people aged 16 and over at risk of severe illness if they get COVID-19
pregnant people with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
people with disability with significant or complex health needs
people with serious mental health conditions
young people aged 12 to 15 who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, with written consent and prescription
talk to your usual doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider about whether this is recommended and how to get a prescription.

Click here for full details.

Additional messages:

To get an additional COVID-19 booster:
- you must have had at least your first two COVID-19 vaccinations
- it's recommended you wait at least 6 months since your last COVID-19 vaccine
- it's recommended you wait at least 6 months if you have had a COVID-19 infection
The bivalent vaccine has replaced the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for boosters.
The Pfizer COVID-19 booster causes the immune system to create antibodies against both the original variant of SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants.
The vaccine used for the primary vaccination course is the Pfizer COVID-19 original vaccine. The Novavax vaccine isn’t recommended for pregnant people, please consult with a health professional.
We encourage everyone who is eligible, to get both their COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination to ensure that they are well protected ahead of Winter.

Background key messages for additional booster dose:

To get an additional COVID-19 booster you must have had at least your first two COVID-19 vaccinations.
It’s recommended that you wait at least six months if you have had a COVID-19 infection. People at higher risk of serious illness can consider an additional booster from three months after COVID-19 illness.
After a COVID-19 infection your antibody levels will be high, giving you some protection. This gradually decreases over six months which is why an additional booster dose isn't recommended until six months after infection.
If you want to have an additional booster earlier than the recommended gap after your last COVID-19 vaccine, you should discuss this with your healthcare provider. You might not need a prescription.
If you are at higher risk of impact of Flu or COVID-19 illness, please consult with a health professional on the right time for you to get an additional booster dose, it may be earlier than 6 months.
Staying up to date with the recommended COVID-19 vaccinations will continue to protect you from the risk of serious illness, hospitalisation or death from COVID-19.
Novavax additional booster doses continue to be available for eligible people aged 18 or older, six months after their last vaccination or infection with COVID-19. Prescriptions are not required, however Novavax is not recommended for pregnant people.
You can book your COVID-19 vaccine or booster at BookMyVaccine.nz or by calling the COVID Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 (8am to 8pm, seven days a week).

Additional messages specifically for the health sector:

Healthcare, aged care and disability workers who are aged 16-29 are not eligible to receive an additional booster unless it is prescribed.
Those who wish to have the original Pfizer vaccine (if over 16) or Novavax vaccine (if over 18) as their additional booster dose can choose to do so when presenting for their vaccination. Note that Novavax is not available at every vaccination centre.
When considering an additional booster for young people aged 12 to 15 who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, consult the Starship guidelines.
The dose interval is recommended at six months; however, an additional dose can be administered at a minimum of four months between booster doses; five months between primary and first booster; and from three months after COVID-19 infection.
The benefit of vaccination in the reduction of severe COVID-19 should be weighed against the small risk of vaccine associated myocarditis and pericarditis. The Pfizer booster is the preferred choice during pregnancy due to the lack of safety data for Novavax.

Change to HCL temperature monitoring device from 31 May 2023

HCL are standardising their temperature monitoring device to just one (the remote tracking system).

Deliveries from 31 May 2023 onwards will only contain Google Scout loggers.
Same positioning as current devices on top of vaccine packs in shipper box.
Google Scout logger light indicator on top section of device:

No light means temperature in range
Red light means breach may have occurred

Indicator legend for battery charging on side of device is for HCL use only.
If red light is displayed, quarantine vaccines and call NIP Logistics.
Device is left in shipper box for courier to return to warehouse as usual.

Please see this document for more information.

Vaccine Errors

NIP advise that there continues to be incidents where the wrong vaccine has been administered. Please ensure that all vaccinations have two people check that the right vaccine has been selected and that the expiry and batch numbers are correct.

COVID-19 vaccine to be available February 2023 for immunocompromised and high-risk under 5-year-olds

Following advice from the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group, Ministers have approved use of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years who are at higher risk of severe disease if they were to catch COVID-19.

Read the full announcement here.

Ministers have approved use of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years who are at higher risk of severe disease if they were to catch COVID-19.
Eligibility is limited to children who are severely immunocompromised, or who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe disease from COVID-19 (following the Starship Child Health table of underlying comorbidities).
The vaccine is anticipated to be available in February 2023. A further announcement will be made in early 2023 when timing of vaccine delivery is confirmed. When timing is confirmed, bookings for this vaccine will be available by calling Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 or visiting www.BookMyVaccine.nz

Supporting messages

The vaccine for this age group is an adapted version of the vaccine used for five- to 11-year-olds.
The approval is for three doses of the adapted paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, with the second dose given three weeks after the first dose, followed by a third dose given at least 8 weeks after the second dose.
Use of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years was provisionally approved by Medsafe, New Zealand’s regulatory authority, on 1 December 2022. Medsafe provides independent advice to the Ministry of Health. They follow a robust approval process to ensure vaccines meet acceptable standards for quality and that the benefits outweigh any risks. Medsafe only approves a vaccine or medicine for use in New Zealand once it is satisfied that it is of acceptable quality, efficacy and safety.
Following Medsafe approval, the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CV-TAG) recommended to the Ministry of Health that the vaccine be approved children who are severely immunocompromised, or who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe disease from COVID-19.

CV-TAG does not currently recommend vaccination for children aged 6 months to 4 years who are not in these risk categories for severe COVID-19. These children have a very low likelihood of severe illness from COVID-19

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