AUCKLAND, Aug 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand started mass vaccination in Manukau, south of Auckland, aiming to jab more than 5,000 people each day.
The government launched the first and largest mass rollout earlier this week, with a goal to have 16,000 people jabbed in three days. Auckland District Health Board (DHB) said, the event is designed to get large groups of people vaccinated efficiently and safely, in a short period of time, at a single venue.
Andy Zhang, who received his first jab yesterday said that, more than 200 booths were set up in the Centre, an iconic arena, designed for conferences and concerts.
“We were told to gather at Manukau Institute of Technology, a building nearby. After double check with working staff, we jumped in a charted coach to be transported to the arena, and then directed to a seat in a booth, awaiting vaccinator coming.” The event was called “a vaccination Olympics” by associate Health Minister, Ayesha Verrall.
According to New Zealand Ministry of Health, 699,469 people have finished their two doses of vaccination as of Jul 27, accounting for roughly 14 percent of the New Zealand population, after the five-month vaccine rollout work started in Feb.
Local experts expressed growing concerns about the potential impact of the slow pace rollout, on New Zealand herd immunity and economic recovery.
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and her cabinet members mentioned multiple times on different occasions that, a high jab rate is one of the crucial preconditions to take border-lift into reconsideration.– NNN-AGENCIES
