Covid 19 coronavirus: Northland DHB says it's on track with Covid-19 vaccinations

Public health registered nurse Anna Rooney administering the Covid vaccine to 67-year-old Gerald Parry in Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Despite numerous complaints of a lag in the Covid-19 vaccination system and its target rated worst in the country, Northland DHB officials are heartened by the strong demand and claim to be on track.

NDHB CEO Dr Nick Chamberlain said demand for the vaccine had been far greater than anticipated but improvements had been made.

"The response from our community wanting to book for a Covid-19 vaccination is extremely heartening. Demand has most certainly been greater than we expected."

Since NDHB offered the Covid-19 vaccine to those aged 50-plus – the only DHB in the country to do so - there have been numerous complaints from frustrated public reporting waiting on the phone for hours while trying to book appointments and older people being turned away as they attempted walk-in appointments.

However, Chamberlain said improvements had been made to rectify this, including the 0800 237 829 number to book an appointment being manned by Healthline as of 8am yesterday, with the backlog of emails expected to be cleared by the end of yesterday. In addition, Māori Health providers are preparing to offer the Covid-19 vaccination clinics in their own communities in the coming weeks.

"Providers have strong trusting relationships with their whānau and iwi - they deliver healthcare services to whānau every day. Northland DHB is working very closely with Māori health providers, general practice and pharmacies to establish the infrastructure that will give people options for vaccination from Whangārei to the Far North," he said.

Northland was rated the worst performing of all DHBs for Covid-19 vaccination figures last week, falling almost 4000 doses short of its target. A contributing factor was many aged 65-plus taking advantage of the offer of the recent influenza vaccination, after which is a two-week stand-down period before able to have the Covid-19 vaccination.

Northland DHB CEO Dr Nick Chamberlain. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Chamberlain said NDHB was performing well with 6.3 per cent of the Northland population having received a Covid-19 vaccination.

"Over the past six weeks, the number of vaccines we've administered have increased from 300 doses a week to nearly 4000 a week – that's an increase of more than 1000 per cent. Northland has embarked on an ambitious vaccination programme and we're working hard to achieve our targets.

"We administered an average of 3500 doses a week over the last two weeks. We are on track to deliver 4000 doses this week. If we continue at the current rate, we will meet or exceed our plan by the end of June."

Since the DHB began its vaccination programme on February 28, almost 12,000 doses had been administered.

"[As of midnight Wednesday] a total of 9637 people have received their first dose. Of these, 2201 have also received their second dose. [On Wednesday] the DHB administered 829 doses.

"Reaching our target at a steadily increasing rate has always been our expectation.''

Along with those aged 50-plus, key priority groups are Northland kuia, kaumātua and their whānau and the people they live with, and their carers, frontline, including border workers and their household contacts, and other healthcare workers.