Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern says she will be publicly vaccinated — but not yet

Jacinda Ardern says she will receive the Covid-19 vaccine in public. Photo / NZME

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed she will take the Covid-19 vaccine in public, but she wants those who work in the frontlines to be vaccinated first as they are "the priority".

In her post-Cabinet media conference this afternoon, the Prime Minister announced that Auckland will join the rest of the country at alert level 1 from midnight tonight, and gave an update on the vaccine rollout programme in New Zealand, after it began on Friday.

Asked whether she is willing to be vaccinated publicly, Ardern said she will, when it's her turn.

"I am ready and willing to be vaccinated and I absolutely will be," Ardern said.

"The important thing for me though was to prioritise those at the greatest risk. I am not at the greatest risk. Those we needed to look after are our frontline border workers, the people who are coming face to face potentially with Covid every day, they're the priority."

Jacinda Ardern says she will receive the Covid-19 vaccine in public. Photo / NZME

The Prime Minister stated she "will be publicly vaccinated".

"I want to model that it is safe. I will be publicly vaccinated but I wanted to make sure those at the most risk were vaccinated first," she said.

"I should add I have a family member who is amongst that group [of frontline workers]," Ardern added.

"I will be encouraging all my family members to be vaccinated regardless of where they work."

Ardern's decision is a move away from other world leaders who have chosen to receive the vaccination early and in public, in the hopes of inspiring confidence in the vaccine.

Across the Tasman, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison received the Covid vaccine yesterday, as part of the first batch of vaccines to be administered in the country.

Scott Morrison receives the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Twitter: Chris Reason

US President Joe Biden receives his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital in Newark. Photo / AP

מקבל את הזריקה השנייה במבצע ״חוזרים לחיים״ - כל אזרחי ישראל יחוסנו תוך 2-3 חודשים ונוכל לפתוח את הכלכלה שלנו!

(צילום: עמוס בן גרשום, לע״מ) pic.twitter.com/I5ni9yidCx

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 9, 2021

On the frontlines of this fight are nurses like Patricia who administered my vaccine yesterday. As the daughter of immigrants from Guyana, Patricia has been working tirelessly to protect and save lives.

To Patricia and all the nurses battling this pandemic—thank you. pic.twitter.com/xFmCWI3jRs

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 30, 2020

My number one priority is getting people vaccinated as quickly as we can to get our country back on track. pic.twitter.com/JLY1DntIlR

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 12, 2021

New Zealand's biggest-ever immunisation campaign kicked off on Friday, with the vaccination of the vaccinators. On Saturday, the first border workers received their Covid jabs.

Over the next two to three weeks, New Zealand is expected to vaccinate 12,000 frontline border workers.

Ardern described it as a "huge and welcome milestone".

New Zealand's full vaccination programme against Covid is expected to take a full year.