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Last week the Government confirmed that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine will be rolled out to the patients and staff of aged residential care facilities from the end of March.
These are facilities both inside retirement villages and in the wider community that look after older people who are no longer able to live independently, providing rest home, hospital or dementia level care.
Residents of these facilities will naturally get the vaccine in-house. Everyone receiving the vaccine must give consent and NZ Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace says this is challenging when it comes to dementia patients – something that is also an issue for flu vaccines – and is currently being worked through.
Meanwhile, local health professionals are gearing up to offer the vaccination to their patients, starting around July. Training for vaccinators begins next month. Unichem Manly owner, pharmacist Tania Adams, says Covid-19 vaccinations will be available from pharmacies as well as GPs.
“All primary healthcare workers will work together to get everyone in our community vaccinated,” Tania says. “Special training for qualified vaccinators is being organised for the different Covid-19 vaccines, which includes methods of giving vaccinations, plus information so we can answer patients’ questions with the most up-to-date research.”
Pharmacist Antony Wentworth of Life Pharmacy Ōrewa says three of his pharmacists will undertake Covid-19 vaccination training. He says the rollout will be “on a needs first basis”, similar to last year’s flu vaccination, and that his team is responsible for prioritising high needs people. For Covid-19 this group includes the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
“Most of our bookings are online, or by phone – but we have to police that,” Antony says. “Last year [for the flu vaccination] we had to turn away a small number who weren’t as honest as they could have been. Pharmacies and GP surgeries will communicate with their patients and the Ministry will have another layer of communication to inform the public.”
