Supporting access for all to the COVID-19 vaccination programme

Wednesday, 1 September 2021 5:01 pm Subject: Supporting access for all to the COVID-19 vaccination programme Tēnā koutou Over the past two weeks, we have seen a significant increase in the number of people booking and receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations as New Zealanders recognise the impact that COVID-19 can have on both their own health, and the health of their whānau and fono.

Daily vaccination events have reached record highs despite New Zealand being in Alert Level 4. This is an extraordinary achievement, and nearly twice as much as was signalled through your production plans. It is a great testament to the commitment shown by District Health Boards (DHBs) and across our primary care sector.

The highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant means that we must all remain vigilant and continue to do as much as we can to protect New Zealanders. The easier a COVID-19 vaccination is to access, the more people we can protect, and sooner.

Sufficient funding has been made available by the New Zealand Government to ensure every person in New Zealand is vaccinated. We have an obligation to make this as easy as possible for people to receive their vaccinations. Therefore, it is our expectation that people will not be asked to provide identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, when booking or accessing a vaccination.

I am aware there have been vaccination centres asking for identification if the person presenting for a vaccination does not have a National Health Index (NHI) number. I want to take this opportunity to clarify the Ministry of Health’s expectations so that the same processes are in place across all DHBs. The requirements for setting up an NHI at a COVID-19 vaccination site are set out in section 9.3.2 of the Ministry’s guidelines “There is no requirement regardless of a person’s circumstance to have identification for setting up a NHI or to receive their vaccination.”

In short, there is no requirement to ask for identification when setting up an NHI number at a COVID-19 vaccination site for those people who present for a vaccination and may not have an NHI number. However, details such as the person’s full name, date of birth, and address may be requested to enable an NHI number to be set up for them.

I am aware that some DHBs may have different requirements in their wider hospital or primary care settings, and that this may create some confusion. I therefore ask that you please ensure that all your staff and providers are aware that those businessas-usual requirements do not apply to a COVID-19 vaccination.

Thank you for all your ongoing efforts that you and your team continue to make to support both the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and protecting all New Zealanders.

Nāku noa, nā Jo Jo Gibbs (she/her) National Director COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme, Ministry of Health