COVID Vaccinations available at General Practice

6 December 2021

Being in a community means doing our part, so when you protect yourself, you are protecting others. It’s okay to be unsure about getting the COVID vaccine and having concerns. Finding the reason that makes it right for you can take time. Comments from Kiwis who have decided to get vaccinated include the following. “I want to be here for my whānau, mokopuna, and not pass the virus on to our kaumātua.” “Getting vaccinated is a normal part of taking care of ourselves, so we can look after our whānau and communities.” “Our tīpuna adapted to challenges and so can we.”

Along with pop-up vaccination clinics happening around the Whanganui region, many general practices are now also offering the vaccine to their patients. They are there to listen to you, discuss your concerns and provide credible information, so that you can make an informed decision for you and your whānau. Once all your questions have been answered and if you decide to have the vaccination, they will be there to support you through the vaccination process too.

Vaccinations are free and available to everyone aged 12 years and over. It is very important to have both doses, which gives you approximately 95% protection against severe COVID-19; making you less likely to end up in hospital seriously unwell. It takes two weeks after the first dose to build up some immunity and five weeks in total before you have full protection. Once fully protected it is a lot harder for the virus to spread between people, which is very important as restrictions start to lift and we get back to doing the things we love.

Remember that vaccination is only one tool in our kete to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. As a community we all still need to continue taking extra safety measures, staying home and away from others when we are unwell, getting a test when we are sick and isolating until we have the result, wearing a mask, social distancing and washing our hands regularly.

If you want to know more about COVID-19 vaccinations and the process, check out these credible websites www.karawhiua.nz and www.covid19.govt.nz

If you are looking for information on how to care for yourself or a whānau member in the community that has COVID-19, go to https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/c/covid-19/

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.

My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

For further comment please contact WRHN Communications & Technology Coordinator, Karen Veldhoen on (06) 348 0109 extn 708