AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrives
News
AstraZeneca has arrived. We have 100,000 doses in New Zealand that can be used from 29 November.
Pfizer continues to be the main COVID-19 vaccine we are using but AstraZeneca is available for people aged 18 and older who cannot have the Pfizer vaccine or people who want to have a different COVID-19 vaccine.
AstraZeneca is a two-dose viral vector COVID-19 vaccine, with a 4 to 12-week gap between dose 1 and dose 2. Work is underway to provide workforce training and distribution logistics for the vaccination programme.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses will be available at selected vaccination sites and people can book in for an appointment to receive it from 26 November on bookmyvaccine.covid19.health.nz/.
Our doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have come from the Australian manufacturing site for use in New Zealand.
Medsafe approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in July 2021 for people aged 18 and older and has subsequently approved Australia as a manufacturing site for the vaccine.
Courses on vaccination using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be available soon.
Ministry of Health resources:
AstraZeneca COVID-19 general information
AstraZeneca Vaccine Policy Statement