“As Omicron cases pile up at the border and the whole spectrum of commentators from the blasé to the catastrophists say
we’re gonna get it, the Government is fighting a phoney war. Book My Vaccine is still not set up for booking four-month
boosters and kids' vaccines are months behind the world," says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“ACT first pointed out two weeks ago that the Book my Vaccine website does not allow you to book a booster until six months after your second dose. Four
month boosters were announced three weeks ago but the software still hasn’t been updated.
“Today, if you go to the website and enter that your second dose was on the ninth of September, you are told you cannot
get a booster until March, six months later. You can, however put in any date you like for your second dose. The only
way to get a booking now is to lie, not something the Government is supposed to encourage.
“Meanwhile, the truth about children’s boosters is coming to light. The Government was disorganised again. The FDA
approved them in October, New Zealand only received the does yesterday. It’ll be another week until they’re ready for
distribution.
“Parents are clamouring to get these doses. Omicron is coming. We should be in a state of urgency. We were supposed to
be waiting for Medsafe approval. It came on December 16 but we didn’t have the doses in New Zealand. Now it turns out
the distribution is not ready either.
“Imagine if the Government had project-managed the children’s doses properly and been honest about the process. They
could have said ‘we don’t have the does yet, but we are getting the distribution network ready to start administering
within 48 hours of arrival.’ Instead they spent months pretending they are waiting for Medsafe.
“Omicron will soon be upon us one way or another. The Government’s response should be much more urgent than it is,
starting with very basic things like vaccine bookings and child doses being ready to go."