10,000 vaccination mark hit
The Southern District Health Board has reached a major milestone with 10,000 people in Southland and Otago already vaccinated against Covid-19.
The vaccination rollout has been extended to the district’s most vulnerable residents with clinics being held at aged-care facilities from yesterday afternoon.
Border facing staff and their household contacts were the first to receive the jab from March 1, while frontline health staff were the next in line from March 29.
Residents at Presbyterian Support Southland Enliven Vickery Court, Invercargill, were the first members of the public to receive their first dose yesterday.
Resident Wilma Capil, 82, said getting her vaccination seemed the most sensible thing to do to protect herself, her fellow residents and staff. ‘‘Without them, we are so at risk, and they kept us so safe over the previous Covid lockdowns. I was probably the first to put my hand up to say ‘we need this’,’’ Capil said.
Residents and staff at Elmslie House and Aspiring Enliven Care Centre in Wanaka will receive their vaccines on Sunday, followed by Ripponburn Rest Home, Cromwell on April 24; Teviot Valley Rest Home, Roxburgh on April 30; and Maniototo Hospital Rest Home, Ranfurly on May 1.
Southern DHB Covid-19 vaccine rollout Incident Controller Hamish Brown said the board would work with partners in the mental health and the disability sectors to broaden its reach in this group, and hoped to reach older Ma¯ori and Pacific people cared for by wha¯nau in the coming weeks.’’
Reaching the 10,000 mark for vaccinations was a great start to the programme and provided confidence as the rollout was scaled up, Brown said.