News and Notices

COVID-19 vaccination update 11 August 2021

Posted 3 years ago

If you're aged 55 or over, or you're in groups 1, 2, or 3, you can book your vaccinations now, through the Book My Vaccine website, or through the freephone service: 0800 28 29 26. From tomorrow, 13 August, those aged 50 or over are also eligible to book their vaccinations.

The national vaccine rollout has been brought forward for all age groups:

  • People aged 60 and over - now
  • People aged 55 and over - now
  • People aged 50 and over - now
  • People aged 40 and over - 18 August
  • People aged 30 and over - 25 August
  • People aged 16 and over - 1 September

Locally, we are also able to make the vaccine available to younger age groups on occasion. This means that people in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough who are younger than 50 are receiving text invites to make their booking using the code given to them in the message.

As at 08 August, 94,062 doses of the free Pfizer BioNTech vaccine have been administered in the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough region since vaccination started on 1 March 2021.

We are currently achieving 124% of our target as reported on the Ministry of Health website. We have around 12,500 vaccinations available each week.

What about the flu vaccine?

The 2021 flu vaccine is also currently available for free from your GP, medical centre nurse, Māori health provider and participating pharmacies for:

  • people aged 65+ 
  • pregnant women (any stage of pregnancy)
  • children aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness
  • people under 65 years with any of the medical conditions listed on this webpage

For further information go to the Health Navigator website, talk to your GP or phone 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863)

The Ministry of Health recommends a two-week gap between getting your flu vaccine and your of COVID-19 vaccine. 

Should I get my flu shot first or my COVID-19 vaccine? 

Get your COVID-19 vaccine first if you already have an appointment booked, otherwise get your flu shot first. Leave a gap of two weeks between the COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine.

Getting the right information matters

Be aware of incorrect information on social media and websites. Disinformation is also circulating in the form of pamphlets; if it's not from Unite Against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health or Te Puni Kokiri it might not be trustworthy.

You can get accurate, evidence-based information from: