GPs’ surgeries offering Covid-19 vaccine advice, vaccinations

Along with pop-up vaccination clinics happening around the Whanganui region, many general practices are now offering the vaccine to their patients. They are there to listen, discuss your concerns and provide credible information, so that you can make an informed decision for you and your wha¯nau. Once all your questions have been answered and if you decide to have the vaccination, they will be there to support you through the vaccination process.

Vaccinations are free and available to everyone aged 12 years and over. It is important to have both doses, which gives you approximately 95 per cent protection against severe Covid-19; making you less likely to end up in hospital seriously unwell. It takes two weeks after the first dose to build up some immunity and five weeks in total before you have full protection. Once fully protected it is a lot harder for the virus to spread between people, which is important as restrictions start to lift and we get back to doing the things we love.

Vaccination is only one tool in our kete to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading. As a community we all still need to continue taking extra safety measures, staying home and away from others when we are unwell, getting a test when we are sick and isolating until we have the result, wearing a mask, social distancing and washing our hands regularly.

If you want to know more about Covid-19 vaccinations and the process, check out these credible websites karawhiua.nz and covid19.govt.nz

If you are looking for information on how to care for yourself or a wha¯nau member in the community that has Covid-19, go to healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/ c/covid-19/