The first Covid-19 vaccination clinics are being held in Wanaka this weekend for frontline health workers and aged residential care residents and workers.

The clinic for frontline health workers will take place at Wanaka Medical Centre as well as vaccinations of residents and staff at Elmslie House and Aspiring Enliven Care Centre from today (Saturday April 17).

Wanaka Medical Centre nurse and quality lead Maureen McNeill and Aspiring Medical Centre clinical nurse manager Lynda Davis said these first clinics send a positive message that the vaccine roll-out is well underway in this district.

They said patients had been asking about the vaccine and when it will be here, “so this is really encouraging for the whole community”.

Both practices said they were pleased to be able to be a part of the vaccine roll-out in the Southern district and all health providers are working together to make it safe and effective.

The vaccinations at Wanaka’s aged residential care facilities also marks another significant step in the Southern district’s vaccination programme as it begins to roll out to the more vulnerable people in the community.

“The staff and residents of Elmslie House in Wanaka are pleased to belong to the first aged care residential facility in Central Otago to receive the COVID 19 vaccination,” Elmslie House manager Alexa Gutowska said.

“Our residents are of the generation that believes in doing what is best for everyone, and 28 residents will receive their first vaccination this weekend, along with over 20 of our staff members. Our residents have expressed how challenging the COVID lockdowns were for them, being separated from loved ones – so they welcome the vaccinations, which they understand will help in preventing future lockdowns.”

The Wanaka facilities will be the first aged care residential homes to receive the vaccine in Central Otago, following vaccinations in Invercargill which started earlier in the week.

Southern DHB Covid-19 vaccine rollout incident controller Hamish Brown said the team was delighted with the progress of the vaccination programme so far.

“The Southern vaccination programme surpassed 10,000 vaccinations earlier this week and to be at a stage where we are rolling out vaccines to more vulnerable groups is a real milestone in this history-making process,” he said.

Over the coming weeks more rural clinics will open across Central Otago for frontline staff to book into, more aged residents care facilities will be visited, and other vulnerable groups, he said.

Click here for more information about New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccine, including the approval process, safety and side effects.