COVID-19: Ministry of Health aims to administer 1 million vaccine doses by end of June

COVID-19: Ministry of Health aims to administer 1 million vaccine doses by end of June
Photo credit: Getty Images

More than one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to be administered by the end of June, according to a new plan by the Ministry of Health.

The plan, released on Wednesday, shows the number of people vaccinated in each DHB so far and the weekly targets for each area.

By June 30, the Ministry of Health expects 1,161,952 vaccine doses will have been administered. This number could vary by plus or minus 10 percent of actual vaccination numbers if the rollout is interrupted, or DHBs exceed their targets.

Nearly half of the expected vaccine doses (497,991) will be administered to people in Auckland, with 100,982 doses planned for Canterbury DHB. The DHB with the third-highest target is Waikato, with 78,700 doses.

As of April 13, 84,595 vaccines have been administered across New Zealand. No one living in the Wairarapa or West Coast DHB has received a vaccine yet.

Those aged between 30 and 39 have received the most vaccines of any age group. So far, 21,300 have been given their first dose and 6303 have received their second, making them fully vaccinated.

DHBs exceeded the Ministry of Health's number of planned vaccinations this week by nearly 3000. A total of 33,397 vaccines were planned to be given, but instead 36,301 were administered.

COVID-19: Ministry of Health aims to administer 1 million vaccine doses by end of June
Photo credit: Ministry of Health

So far in New Zealand's vaccine rollout, 135,585 vaccines have been administered, comprising 105,391 first doses and 30,194 second doses. More than 34,000 vaccine doses have been administered over the past week.

The ministry says 43 percent of vaccines given so far have been administered in Auckland, 19 percent of which are Māori or Pasifika.

Overall, 16,009 of those who have received one dose live in the Waitemata area, with 15,877 living in the Counties Manukau DHB and 15,561 living in the Auckland DHB. Most vaccinations, however, are administered in Counties Manukau.

Under the Government's vaccination rollout, only border and managed isolation and quarantine workers, high-risk frontline workers, and people living in high-risk places are able to receive vaccines. From May, people who are in Group 3 will be able to get the vaccine. From July, the vaccine will open up to New Zealand's general population, aged 16 and over.