Covid-19 vaccine changes

You will be aware that from 01 April 2023, the eligibility for covid-19 vaccine will be changing.

To summarise, additional boosters will be available to anyone aged 30 and over who have completed their two primary doses, provided it has been 6 months since their last booster or positive covid-19 test.

An additional booster is also available for anyone aged 16 and over who has an increased risk of severe illness from covid-19 as long as it has been at least 6 months since their last booster or positive covid-19 test.

Please note the change in timing from 3 months since positive covid-19 test to 6 months.

In preparation for this change we recommend that you order additional stock this week to ensure it is delivered the week commencing 20 March 2023 This will reduce the risk of any potential delivery delay due to increased demand. Thanks to the longer shelf life of the new bivalent vaccine, this shouldn’t cause any problems with the stock expiring too early.

Full details about the eligibility change can be found on the MoH website COVID-19 vaccine: Bivalent | Ministry of Health NZ

• GREAT NEWS…in CIR you can now order the paediatric vaccine in packs or 2, 5 or 10 vials, which will reduce wastage. This will also be available at a later date for the gray caps.

• We will be reinstating the weekly Zoom Q & A sessions for all providers every Tuesday from 12.30pm – 1pm starting on Tuesday 21 March. There will be a clinical adviser available to answer any questions you may have about the immunisation programme.

If you have any questions you would like answered by the team, please email helen.terry@bopdhb.govt with your question in advance so we can consult the appropriate person to have the answer for you at the Q & A session. Below is the link to the session:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://bopdhb.zoom.us/j/89683477183?pwd=MVhTT2lKaW12NVRCelhLdWtZN0luQT09

Meeting ID: 896 8347 7183

Passcode: 605473