"For me, it's been important that I allow those in the most at risk
group... to be prioritised," Ardern said in a news conference.
"I'm choosing to be vaccinated at this point in order to play my
role in demonstrating that I consider it to be absolutely safe and
also really critical to keep others safe," she said.
Pfizer has scheduled delivery of an estimated 1 million doses of
vaccine to New Zealand in July, Ardern said.
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The Pacific island nation, which has been among the most successful
in the world in containing the spread of COVID-19, has so far fully
vaccinated about 250,000 of its 5 million population.
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/08/images/ads/current/2021_lda_Businessdirectory.png) About 20,000 doses a day are
being administered, and the Pfizer deliveries
will enable that pace to increase significantly,
Ardern said. At the peak of the programme in
August and September, 50,000 doses will be
administered each day, she said.
New Zealand has had 2,336 confirmed cases and 26
deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic so far.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon. Editing by Gerry
Doyle)
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