Focus: How to stop the spread of coronavirus. Video / AP / Mark Mitchell
A mum going to extreme lengths to protect her sick son from Covid-19 is outraged after he was given a flu jab by a nurse wearing no protective gear in Tauranga.
However, a healthcare professional says nurses are not required to wear protective gear while administering influenza vaccines.
The dilemma is just one example of the challenges facing Kirsty Houghton as she protects her family bubble from Covid-19.
Houghton's 4-year-old son Kaden has Ketotic hypoglycemia, a condition that has had him in and out of hospital his whole life.
She said Kaden has one of the five worst cases of the condition in the country.
If he contracts any bug - even a common cold - he goes down hard.
Kaden has been in and out of hospital since he was born. Photo / Supplied
He's endured endless hospital visits, tubes through his body and even seizures, so Houghton has taken extreme measures to protect her son from Covid-19.
Houghton, however, feels like her sacrifices to protect him went "out the window" after an unprotected nurse touched her son while giving him a flu jab on Tuesday.
The nurse came to her car to inject Kaden. She was not wearing a mask and touched his arm with her bare hands, she said.
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"If he [Kaden] gets this virus, he will die," Houghton said.
In the past 10 days, Houghton and her two children had left the house only twice. Although many people were staying home during the alert level 4 lockdown, the Houghtons take extra precautions to keep Kaden safe.
Kirsty Houghton and her son Kaden masked up to go get his flu jab. Photo / Supplied
Houghton's daughter quit her job, the family did not go for walks and if a supermarket trip was needed, showers and thorough clothes-washing followed.
"I am not taking any risks with him," Houghton said.
On Tuesday, Houghton and her son masked and gloved up before heading down to get Kaden's flu vaccination.
Houghton said her son was "so worried" after the nurse had vaccinated him with no protection and said, "Mum the world is sick right now, why is the nurse not wearing her mask?"
The pair sat in the car for 20 minutes as a safety precaution after the injection and were horrified to watch the same nurse vaccinate another dozen people unprotected.
Kirsty Houghton and her son Kaden. Photo / Supplied
In Houghton's view, people should not be touching others, especially those at risk.
"We've done everything right up until now, I feel so let down," she said.
"We got home and Kaden said to me, 'I don't want to go to the hospital and get the tubes up my nose again, Mum'."
Kaden Brockwell could die if he caught Covid-19. Photo / Supplied
She said there was not a lot of support around what to do in these situations with sick children.
Houghton had not yet made an official complaint as she was not sure where to go, but he had told the healthcare centre in question.
Dr Marshall Hollister-Jones of Chadwick Healthcare, which had the drive-through clinic, said staff members were just following Ministry of Health guidelines for administration of influenza vaccination.
These guidelines underlined that patient contact for flu vaccine was considered low risk for transmission. Gloves, masks, gowns and goggles were not required, he said.
Strict hand hygiene was still observed between patient contacts, he said.
"Our processes have been designed with the safety of our staff and patients as the highest priority."
Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation general manager Phil Back said the PHO fully supported the practice in following national guidelines.
