Source: New Zealand Labour Party
Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we care about from COVID-19. It means we’ll all be able to do more of what we love this summer, while keeping each other safe.
More than two and a half million Kiwis are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – and if you’re one of them, thank you for doing your bit. But there’s still more work to do, and there’s no time to waste.
Here are five ways you can help New Zealand get vaccinated, even if you’ve already had your two shots.
Talk to your friends and whānau
Some people might be a little nervous about vaccination or want a bit more information before getting their shot.
It’s really important to have open conversations about vaccination to ensure everyone has the information they need to make their choice.
If you’re vaccinated, you can help your friends and family make an informed decision by sharing your own vaccination experience, advising them to talk to a trusted health professional, or pointing them to accurate and reliable information online. A good place to start is the Q+A section at covid19.govt.nz.
Spread the word about Super Saturday
On Super Saturday, 16 October, a nationwide day of action will be happening to get our vaccination rates up and improve our chances of being able to enjoy another classic Kiwi summer. Vaccination centres across the motu will be open all day and into the evening, making it super easy for people to get a dose.
Even if you’re fully vaccinated, you can still take part in Super Saturday! Remind your friends to go get their shot or offer to watch your neighbours’ kids so they can get vaccinated. If you want to take it to the next level, you could get together with your workplace or community group to organise a Super Saturday competition or social media campaign to encourage others to get vaccinated.
If it’s been at least three weeks since your first dose, you can also take advantage of Super Saturday to get your second dose. Just remember to cancel your original appointment so someone else can take that spot.
Check out the Super Saturday resources and find more information here.
Help someone make a booking
If you’ve already gone through the booking process, you’re well-placed to help someone else sort out an appointment.
You could give your mate a hand with the Book My Vaccine online portal, or remind a colleague they can call the COVID Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 to make an appointment for the whole whānau.
Better yet, some vaccination centres don’t require a booking; anyone can walk in or drive through to get vaccinated. If you know someone who’s having trouble making their appointment, you might like to share this list of centres that don’t require a booking.
Drive someone to their appointment
If you’ve got wheels, why not offer to help someone who doesn’t? Offering a lift to the nearest vaccination centre could make all the difference for someone who hasn’t yet had their vaccine.
If the alert level of your area means you can’t do the above, you can still make a friend’s vaccination easier by making sure they’ve used the handy tools on Healthpoint and Karawhiua to figure out where their closest vaccination centre is, to get the shortest journey possible.
Share accurate information
There’s some misleading information out there about the COVID-19 vaccine, and it can be hard to tell fact from fiction.
We can all play a part to make sure misinformation doesn’t spread. If you see something online that isn’t true, you can help stamp it out. For advice on identifying and reporting problematic content, check out some tips here.
Whether you have five followers or 500, you can help to spread the word about the importance of getting vaccinated. Telling your own story about vaccination is a good place to start, but you can also think about sharing accurate, impartial information from Unite against COVID-19 or the Ministry of Health.
Every extra person who gets vaccinated is another layer of protection for us all. By working together and supporting our friends and family who need a little extra help to take that next step, we can make sure we’re all able to do more of what we love and protect those who can’t be vaccinated, like children under 12.
For more information about COVID-19 and vaccinations, visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website.
