The next group of New Zealanders in the Covid-19 vaccine queue will be frontline health workers, such as Covid testers, ambulance staff and people working in GP clinics.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement today, saying the group comprises of 57,000 people, which adds to the 50,000 eligible border and MIQ workers and their household contacts who were the first to be vaccinated.
She expects vaccination of the second group to begin within a month.
Ardern described the vaccination rollout as a "rolling decision-making" process.
The second group to be vaccinated would be people who are on the frontline and interacting with Covid patients, who could be potentially exposed while providing care.
It includes frontline workers such as ambulance staff, people in GP clinics and Covid testers.
Those people would be Covid testers and vaccinators, ambulance emergency workers, community workers who go into homes and people on the frontline in doctors' clinics — including reception, pharmacy workforce, NGOs, urgent care clinics and contact tracing workers.
"We expect to begin vaccinating this group within a month," Ardern said.
Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said New Zealand is on target with the first rollout of the Covid vaccine.
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