What you need to know
Which vaccine is it?
This is the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, which needs to be kept in ultra-cold freezers at -70°C. It is one of four vaccines New Zealand has ordered.
Will it cost people?
No. The vaccines will be delivered free. They also won't be mandatory.
What will getting it entail?
Each person will need two doses of this vaccine, about three weeks apart. It has been approved for adults aged over 16 unless they are receiving one of four specific cancer treatments. Pregnant women are advised to discuss the vaccine with their doctors but it has been deemed suitable for lactating women.
Are there any side effects?
After getting the jab people will have to be observed for 30 minutes — like many other vaccines — and be aware there could be side effects like fever, muscle pain and fatigue.
Who will be first to get the vaccine?
First up are frontline health, MIQ and border workers. These are the people working in the managed isolation and quarantine facilities, as well as those working at the airports. After they have got the jab, their close family will get the vaccine as well.
What happens if they refuse the vaccine?
The Government cannot make the frontline workers take the vaccine, but it's strongly encouraged.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said if a frontline worker refuses the jab, they won't be fired – rather, they would likely be moved off the front line.
Who's next?
Health care staff and essential workers are next in line before those most at risk from Covid-19 get the jab in the second quarter.
What about the rest of New Zealand?
There is no specific date as to when the wider population will get the vaccination, but it will begin in the second half of the year with Ardern confirming yesterday that the rollout would most likely be done by the end of the year.