The Kākā by Bernard Hickey
The Kākā by Bernard Hickey
Dawn Chorus: Vaccine deal in the works
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Dawn Chorus: Vaccine deal in the works

NZ set to do Australian-style deal to buy Pfizer doses from another country; Goff wants extra doses for high-risk Auckland areas
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TLDR & TLDL: The level four lockdown was extended as expected for a fortnight in Auckland and now the focus shifts to how the country can find enough Pfizer doses to keep up a stunningly-high daily vaccination rate.

Our current stockpile of vaccines could be used up by the end of next week at the current rate of around 80,000 jabs per day, but fresh supplies are probably on the way. Photo The Kaka

New Zealand looks set to soon announce a deal to get extra doses from another country. PM Jacinda Ardern said yesterday she expected to announce within a few days how to deal with a looming shortage brought on by vaccination rates in the last fortnight that have spiked to 500,000 per week from a forecast 350,000 a week. There were 840,000 doses in the stockpile yesterday, implying it could be used up by the end of next week at the current rate of around 80,000 per day.

Luke Malpass reported this morning ‘Stuff understands the Govt is working on a deal similar to one done by Scott Morrison in mid-August, whereby Australia bought one million Pfizer shots from Poland on a not-for-profit basis as Covid spiralled out of control in New South Wales.’

Meanwhile, the extra doses can’t come soon enough for Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, who told RNZ this morning he had asked the Government to prioritise vaccination in South Auckland to reduce the risks for the nation overall.


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Ka kite ano

Bernard

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