Top of the south setting vaccination ‘benchmark’
The Covid-19 vaccine programme is running ahead of schedule at the top of the south, setting ‘‘a benchmark for the rest of the country’’.
So far, vaccination programmes have already begun at eight of the 23 aged care facilities across Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough.
The New Zealand Aged Care Association said the roll-out at the top of the south was a benchmark for other regions, with many other rest homes around the country still waiting to hear from DHBs about a start date.
NZACA chief executive Simon Wallace said he welcomed the Nelson/ Marlborough District Health Board’s approach, as rest home staff and residents were a priority group for vaccination.
‘‘It’s what we’d hoped to see for the rest of the country.
‘‘However, there is still a lot of uncertainty around actual dates for roll-out by individual DHBs. By now we certainly would have expected all staff at rest homes around the country to have had their first vaccination, or at the very least have confirmed dates.’’
Wallace said he was not sure what was causing the delays, but ‘‘with the trans-Tasman bubble and quarantine-free travel upon us increasing the risk profile for our vulnerable people, we need to see an emphasis on fast and safe vaccination’’.
As of Monday, 8143 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had been provided across Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough – with about 70 aged care residents at the Stillwater Retirement Village in Richmond lining up for the jab yesterday.
Cyril Martin was one of the first to receive the vaccine at Stillwater.
‘‘I just want to get it over and done with – the sooner the better, then you know you’re safe,’’ the 93-year-old said.
NMDHB associate director of nursing Jill Clendon said every aged care facility across the region had already been mapped out for the first and second dose of the vaccine.
‘‘People over the age of 80 are significantly more likely to die from contracting Covid – they’re a much more vulnerable group, so it’s really important we get them vaccinated as quickly as we can.’’
Others in the group currently eligible for the vaccine included front line health workers and disability support service customers.
Clendon said that so far, most of the people eligible had chosen to take it.
‘‘One of the things we are finding with the border workers and health workers are people who are really keen to get in and get it done. As we get further into the programme we might get more resistance – but our aged care facilities uptake has been strong so far.’’
Clendon said one of the big reasons for the successful roll-out had been the way the DHB had worked in partnership with primary health organisations.
Nelson Bays Primary Health chief executive Sara Shaughnessy said for the next stage of the programme, it was important to make the vaccine as accessible to as many people as possible.
‘‘We understand that it’s still people’s choice and we respect that, but it’s really important that we have enough people in our community who have immunity [to Covid].’’
To achieve this, Shaughnessy said along with two permanent clinics in Nelson and Richmond, there would also be a range of outreach clinics set up to accommodate rural communities, aged care facilities and other vulnerable communities.