Vaccine rollout still causing confusion
Some people who think they cannot yet get a Covid-19 vaccine are still being invited to get one via text, while some others in the main group being vaccinated are yet to hear anything.
Since the beginning of May, district health boards have been contacting people in group 3 – those with underlying medical conditions or over the age of 65 – with a code allowing them to book a vaccination.
People in this group are judged to be at a greater risk of getting very sick if they catch the virus.
Health authorities said everyone in group 3 would have been contacted about booking for a vaccine before the end of July, when the rest of the unvaccinated population aged over 60 (in group 4) are invited to book through a national online system.
Last week alone, 105,000 vaccine bookings were made nationwide.
The Ministry of Health has now confirmed to The Press there are still people contacting their health board wondering why they have been contacted as part of group 3 at all.
This started happening just over a fortnight ago, when many used social media to express their surprise and confusion about getting a callup.
Decisions on which group people are in – and thus who gets an invitation – is based on health information held either by a person’s GP or somewhere else in the health system.
The Press is aware of five people in Canterbury who were texted last week with a code allowing them to book a vaccination, despite believing they were in group 4.
Astrid Koornneef, manager of operations for the Covid-19 vaccine programme, said there were still ‘‘small numbers’’ of people asking their DHBs why they had been included in group 3.
Another person told The Press they were contacted, believing they were in group 4, but then discovered they were, in fact, part of group 3.
Koornneef said outdated patient records were another reason why people who thought they were in group 4 may have been contacted.
Anyone concerned about what group they were in should contact their GP, she said.
In Canterbury, the health board has said about 10,000 people in group 3 were
When he put his postcode into the system, it returned an area in the United States.
yet to be contacted.
Peter Ross, 79, who lives in east Christchurch, had not heard anything as of Friday last week.
He was eventually offered a vaccine after emailing the health board directly – but has still not managed to secure an appointment after having technical difficulties with the online booking system.
He said when he put his postcode into the system, it returned an area in the United States. He said he now had to ring an 0800 number to get his vaccine booking secured.
‘‘It’s just the sheer incompetence . . . I’m really angry actually,’’ he said.
Anthea Ellis, who has type 1 diabetes, has also not heard anything and has been left wondering if she has slipped through the cracks.
Getting the Covid-19 vaccine would make her feel much calmer about the virus, she said. ‘‘It would just give me a bit more security about my health.’’
Ralph La Salle, who is responsible for the CDHB’s Covid-19 response, said initial estimates were that about 170,000 people in Canterbury were in group 3. However, by the end of this week, only 160,000 texts or letters allowing those in group 3 to book would have been sent.
‘‘As there is a significant number of people in Group 3 in Canterbury, we’ve been encouraging anyone who thinks they may have been missed, or doesn’t have a GP, to email COVID19@cdhb. health.nz with their name, date of birth and how they qualify.’’
About 85 per cent of people in group 3 have not yet had a dose of the vaccine, according to July 13 data from the ministry.
There is now less than a fortnight until the first people in group 4 will be able to book a vaccine online. That system opens on July 28.