One-hundred-thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have touched down in New Zealand.
It comes as more than 1300 DHB workers have been stood down for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine - and it's hoped the alternative option will encourage more people back to work.
The AstraZeneca vaccines flew in from Australia and there are enough doses for 50,000 people.
Out of 80,000 DHB workers, 1309 have just been stood down because they're not vaccinated against COVID.
"Up to 4 percent [have been stood down] in some DHBs, so there's a lot of work that needs to be done here to fill these gaps of actually really critical essential workers in the hospital system," says Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners medical director Dr Bryan Betty.
The AstraZeneca vaccine will be available to over 18s from a limited number of sites.
Dr Betty hopes the alternative encourages more people to get a jab and get back on the job.
"The vaccine we have is perfectly safe, there are no problems with it, but if you've made a philosophical choice about that maybe that would be an option to get back in."
But it's not just healthcare workers. For unvaccinated teachers who haven't been able to return to the classroom this week, there's a new online teaching option.
Alwyn Poole of Villa Education Trust is launching it privately next year and says he's already had plenty of interest.
"We have had probably 350 contacts from teachers and last night made the decision that we will go ahead."
Vaccine mandates have caused disruption overseas, and in New Zealand, the very people that enforce them could be next in line to get one.
"The police are seeking mandates and Cabinet are giving it consideration," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
At least 89 percent of frontline officers have received their first dose and more than 80 percent are fully vaccinated.
Police Minister Poto Williams says it "won't be too much longer" until details of that mandate will be announced.
"We're just making decisions around the whole public service."
And now, those who haven't already had one will have two vaccine options to choose from.