July 09, 2021
Navy at sharp end of Pacific vaccine roll out
The HMNZS Wellington leaves on Monday to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to Tokelau and the Northern Cook Islands.
Defence and Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says while large islands like Rarotonga and Tonga can be covered with commercial flights, getting the vaccine to some of New Zealand’s smaller neighbours and dependencies presents a logistical challenge.
That’s where the navy can support the Health Ministry.
"We have the vaccine on board and we will be able to transport it to islands via helicopter. For a number of the islands, they have the medical personnel to be able to deliver the vaccine. On some of the really remote islands we are going to have to deliver it with our personnel so quite a logistical undertaking but I have faith in the Defence Force to pull this off," Mr Henare says.
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