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PM Jacinda Ardern plans to get first Covid-19 vaccine by end of next week

The PM will finally get her Pfizer vaccine as NZ secures a million more doses.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will receive her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination by the end of next week. 

She follows some her ministers including Chris Hipkins, Peeni Henare, Ayesha Verrall and Andrew Little, as well as other MPs from across the House. 

Ardern announced the plan this afternoon during her weekly post-Cabinet meeting press conference.  

She said she chose to be vaccinated at this point after weighing up the need for those who were at more risk to be prioritised, such as border workers, and "in order to play my role" showing the public that the vaccine is "absolutely safe". 

When asked if she would get her vaccination alongside Opposition Leader Judith Collins, Ardern said they "should be offering to other political party leaders at roughly same point in the calendar to receive their vaccine". 

However, she added that she was not going to put expectations on any political party to sit alongside anyone else to be vaccinated.

Ardern previously said what she had "constantly been mindful of balancing out the need to prioritise those who are most vulnerable or who are most exposed, but also demonstrating I consider it a priority and to be safe". 

The Government today announced a shipment of an estimated one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine now set to arrive in New Zealand during July. 

Ardern said she breathed a sigh of relief when Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told her the news. 

The shipment announcement came after questions were raised last month over concerns of the rollout slowing down without a sizeable shipment in July.

Ardern also said Cabinet would receive advice and make decisions on Monday around the general public rollout of the vaccine. She added that there would be further announcements next week.

That would include details on the booking system.

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