Coronavirus: Questions raised about sports stars trying to skip the queue for COVID-19 vaccines

The Government has just spent up large to get New Zealanders all a dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with an agreement signed meaning the whole country can get one. 

But there are questions being raised about our sports stars trying to skip the queue. 

Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine so far with sign-off from New Zealand's medicine regulator Medsafe, and the Government just bought up large. 

Our initial order was only 1.5 million doses - because we each need two shots that was enough for 750,000. Now we've ordered 8.5 million more - enough for the whole team of five million. 

The Pfizer vaccine has been hailed as 95 percent effective.

"It's great news for New Zealand that we've managed to secure a vaccine that we know is both highly effective and now comes with a very large amount of safety data," Dr Nikki Turner, director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, told Newshub. 

While countries are super secretive about how much they pay for vaccines because of commercial sensitivity, the Pfizer vaccine is reported to be one of the more expensive ones.

"It all comes at a much lower price than the price of the loss of life," said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, "or the ongoing hit that many businesses take if we have outbreaks."

The tricky thing about the Pfizer vaccine is it needs to be stored in special freezers at -70C. The next tricky thing is figuring out who goes first. The Government will reveal that on Wednesday. 

After our border workers, their families are next in line, then the health workforce. 

It's been revealed the Blackcaps want to skip to the front of the queue and get their jabs before they head overseas next month. 

"We haven't made decisions yet," Ardern said. "You can be sure that we will be weighing up all of the factors, including at-risk groups and how many we have managed to vaccinate at that time."

National's COVID-19 response spokesperson Chris Bishop says New Zealanders might think it's unfair. 

"I want the Blackcaps to do well like all New Zealanders, go offshore and win that test championship, but Kiwis will be sitting back and saying 'why can't I know when I'm going to get the vaccine?'" he told Newshub. 

New Zealand Cricket says they've started the conversations about vaccines and are hopeful. The Government is yet to tell us if giving the cricketers a shot means our most vulnerable get knocked for six.