PM Jacinda Ardern and Meghan Woods revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars will be provided to help NZ secure a Covid-19 vaccine when one becomes available. Video / Mark Mitchell
Experts have welcomed a Government commitment to spend hundreds of millions of dollars securing access to a Covid-19 vaccine but warn its effectiveness depends on the majority of Kiwis agreeing to a jab.
Health teams consequently needed to provide the public with clear and trustworthy information so anti-vaccine campaigners didn't undermine the critical work of vaccinating against the deadly virus, the experts said.
The warnings came as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Ardern visited the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington today and said there were "reasons for optimism" in the global hunt for a vaccine.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is optimistic about Covid-19 vaccine developments after visiting the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research at Victoria University. Photo / Getty Images
She said New Zealand was working especially closely with Australia to be in a position to secure access to the right vaccine and help distribute it to our Pacific neighbours.
Massey University associate professor in media studies Elspeth Tilley said a vaccine would only be effective if it had widespread uptake, meaning health teams needed to clearly outline its benefits and safety.
"Good communication will be essential if most New Zealanders are to accept a vaccine as a legitimate response to Covid-19," she said.
In the current age of misinformation where conspiracy rumours spread easily on social media, Tilley said it was important to consult widely and have people from different backgrounds help deliver important messages.
Urban planners wouldn't - for instance - plan a more accessible city without talking to disabled community members about their needs.
"So to design a vaccine policy that will be relevant for and accepted by Māori, Pasifika, Asian, Pākehā, young people, elder citizens, different genders, people with different existing attitudes to health ... you would involve members of all those groups in discussions from the outset," she said.
Another thing to avoid was having scientists and expert craft the health messages in isolation.
Research had found they tended to write as if their audiences were other experts, rather than the general public, she said.
This could result in communications that seemed dense and mysterious, potentially worrying readers rather than clarifying the situation.
"Clarity and relatability will be key," Tilley said.
PM Ardern, meanwhile, earlier said the mission was to secure a safe vaccine at the earliest possible time.
"We are focused on safety. We are focused on effectiveness."
She said the Government could not reveal exactly how much it was spending from its Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund to gain access to a vaccine due to commercial sensitivity - but it is not part of the $14 billion still in reserve.
It was also in addition to the $37 million vaccine strategy released in May to support domestic and international work.
The funding was to ensure New Zealand wasn't at the back of the vaccine queue, including enabling manufacturing in New Zealand on a large scale.
University of Otago clinical microbiologist professor David Murdoch praised the Government strategy of investing in global efforts for a vaccine while also preparing Kiwi teams to be able to manufacture it locally.
Communications experts say health teams need to talk widely to communities about any concerns they may have about a Covid-19 vaccine and provide clear, trustworthy information. Photo / Getty Images
"This is a sensible strategy with a major emphasis on contribution to the global effort and regional collaboration, including with investment in domestic capability building," he said.
He said the world had never been in a situation like this where all countries would be competing to lay their hands on a successful vaccine when it was developed.
That made it important to collaborate and come up with innovative approaches to ensure each country has equitable access.
Previous Govt spending
The funding announced today is in addition to the $37 million vaccine strategy released in May to support domestic and international work.
