COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATES |
COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATES |
News article 22 November 2021 The Ministry has updated the position on the use of saliva for diagnostic testing for COVID-19. This means saliva testing for surveillance purposes for some groups of workers can be reduced from twice weekly to once a week, and there is no need for a follow-up nasopharyngeal swab to confirm a positive saliva test result. Effective immediately, permitted workers crossing the Alert Level boundary who have chosen saliva testing to meet their testing requirements will only need one saliva test within a seven-day period not two saliva tests. From 15 December permitted workers will need proof of being fully vaccinated or proof of a test taken no more than seven days prior to crossing the boundary. Click here for more information Additional information: Third Primary Dose Yesterday we announced a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine would be available for people who are severely immuncompromised. We anticipate this option will only be suitable for a very small group of the population. continued...
The main things to note are: · A third primary dose vaccine cannot be prescribed or administered to anyone who does not meet the criteria set out in the Policy Statement. · The third primary dose must be administered at least 8 weeks following the second dose. · Patients must show a script from a medical practitioner and a written consent form (co-signed by the medical practitioner) to receive a third primary dose. · The third primary dose can be administered at all vaccination clinics. · The standard two-dose course of vaccine should be offered to any eligible unvaccinated household contacts aged 12 and over, of severely immunocompromised individuals. · The Ministry of Health has published the requirements to be eligible for a third dose (see , which can be viewed online (see Policy Statement) · Information for clinicians is available in the Immunisation Handbook and IMAC website.
The attached documents will help you understand the eligibility criteria for this third primary dose of Pfizer. This information will be loaded to the Ministry of Health’s website this afternoon. Please note the COVID-19 Vaccination Immunisation Operating Guidelines will shortly be updated to include this change. Click here to read the policy statement and clinical guidance Click here to read the third primary dose consumer access journey Issue #20 - 20 October 2021 Welcome to Issue #20 of the COVID-19 Vaccine Programme Update. This fortnightly newsletter for the health and disability sector contains a general programme update and clinical information for vaccinators. A list of resource links and subscription information completes this newsletter. In this issue: Highlights
Click here to read the full update Third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people who are severely immunocompromised - more details20/10/2021
Third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people who are severely immunocompromised - more details Yesterday we announced a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine would be available for people who are severely immunocompromised. We anticipate this option will only be suitable for a very small group of the population. Click here to read the full update See the below information about Raukura Hauora o Tainui's Super vax saturday Welcome to Issue #19 of the COVID-19 Vaccine Programme Update. This fortnightly newsletter for the health and disability sector contains a general programme update and clinical information for vaccinators. Click here to read the full update The Ministry has updated the advice on the timing of routine vaccines in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. The influenza, MMR, HPV, diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis combination vaccine (Boostrix), and majority of other routine vaccines can now be administered before, after, or at the same time as the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, without concern for the spacing of the vaccinations. The change supports completing a person’s recommended vaccination schedule in the shortest and most effective timeframe. The only exception to this advice is for the live-attenuated shingles vaccine (Zostavax) where a 7-day interval, before or after administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, is advised. This updated advice supports the uptake of the other vaccines already on the New Zealand schedule. There are no additional safety concerns associated with co-administration, over and above each vaccine’s individual safety profile. More details are available on the IMAC website https://covid.immune.org.nz/covid-19-vaccines-nz/getting-vaccinated/spacing-vaccinations Welcome to Issue #18 of the COVID-19 Vaccine Programme Update. This fortnightly newsletter for the health and disability sector contains a general programme update and clinical information for vaccinators. A list of resource links and subscription information completes this newsletter. In this issue: Highlights
Welcome to Issue #17 of the COVID-19 Vaccine Programme Update. This fortnightly newsletter for the health and disability sector contains a contents list, a general programme update and a clinical update for vaccinators. A list of resource links and subscription information completes this newsletter. In this issue: Highlights
Click here to read the full update Kia ora koutou We are pleased to introduce the first edition/release of our COVID-19 Immunisation Clinical Toolkit. This has been created in recognition that changes to clinical guidance for COVID-19 vaccination happen regularly as the programme evolves, increasing the need to ensure frontline clinical staff have the correct information at hand to provide efficient and safe immunisation. Click here to read the full edition |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2022
Categories |