The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association is calling for officials “not to delay” the vaccination of all police officers.
Approximately 1800 frontline officers who could be deployed to MIQ facilities are currently being vaccinated.
Regular officers will be vaccinated in the “last tranche,” Police Association president Chris Cahill told Q+A’s Jack Tame yesterday.
“The whole point of vaccinating is if there is an outbreak and that’s when the police will be at the frontline dealing with the people that are carrying Covid and that is why they need to be vaccinated,” he said.
The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) was “surprised” to learn of the vaccination timeline and is calling it an “error” on the Government’s part.
“To deny the vast majority of our police officers access to a vaccination that is available right now, when we are asking those same police officers to work closely with some of our most vulnerable New Zealanders every day, has not been thought through,” NZALPA president Captain Andrew Ridling said.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told 1 NEWS some officers would be able to get the vaccine now, depending on the region and that rollout sequencing was no easy task.
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