Answers to your Covid-19 vaccination questions
Getting vaccinated is a way to protect your whānau and whakapapa. It’s a way to keep everyone safe, from our kaumātua to our mokopuna. It protects us by stopping the spread of the virus.
If most of us are vaccinated, we can also reduce the risk of outbreaks. Community outbreaks can lead to lockdowns and put our health system under pressure.
When we get vaccinated, we can better protect those in our community who can’t get immunised such as tamariki who are under 12.
The vaccine works like other vaccines. It teaches the immune system to recognise and fight the virus.
It can’t give you the disease because it does not contain the virus, or a dead or inactivated virus, or anything that can affect our DNA.
The vaccine is gone completely from your body within a few days, leaving your immune system ready for action if COVID-19 comes near you.
It took a global effort to create the COVID-19 vaccines. But we didn’t start from scratch. Similar research into another virus (known as SARS) was already underway.
Other things helped.
- Large amounts of funding were invested in research and manufacturing.
- New technology was available.
- Researchers, scientists and manufacturers around the world worked together.
As a result, the vaccines could be made faster, while still making sure they went through all the safety checks.
- You will be asked to provide your details and to give consent.
- A fully trained vaccinator will give you the vaccine in your upper arm.
- You will need to stay for 15 minutes after being vaccinated.
- Some mild side effects are common and are a sign your body is learning to fight the virus. Visit UniteAgainstCOVID-19.govt.nz
- A second appointment will be booked for you. Be sure to make a note so you know when and where your second appointment is happening.
- Both does of the vaccine are FREE.
- Being fully vaccinated (two doses) will help protect you and your whānau from COVID-19.
At this stage, tamariki under 12 cannot get the Pfizer vaccine. Initial trials of the vaccine focused on vulnerable groups. Further trials are currently underway and when more data becomes available, that guidance will be updated.
Getting vaccinated is your choice
There are lots of ways we can protect against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is one of them. The vaccine is especially important to protect those who are at higher risk of serious illness like our kuia and kaumātua.
