Government’s next Covid test

New Zealand likes punching above its weight on the world stage, and humblebragging about our achievements, but coming last? That is something we are less likely to publicise. But as of June 15, New Zealand was at the very bottom of the OECD for vaccination rates. According to Our World in Data, we had administered just 18.49 doses per 100 people in New Zealand. The most-vaccinated country was Israel, where 122.84 doses had been administered, followed by Chile, the UK and Iceland.

The roll-out has been dependent on supply lines. The postponement of a mass vaccination event planned for Auckland in early July was not a good sign, but 1 million doses are expected later that month.

Our successful lockdown and managed isolation systems, and our geographical remoteness, have surely been our saving graces. This is partly management and partly good luck. The new, more contagious Delta strain seen in Australia has not yet jumped into our community.

Yesterday’s announcement of a vaccine roll-out, using age-based cohorts and a new online booking system, was a Covid-era milestone to rank alongside the launch of the alert level system in 2020 and the trans-Tasman bubble this year.

In each case, there has been a mix of excitement and nervousness, as we attempted something that has not been done before.

Students of political marketing and public relations might have seen less confidence and less gravitas around this announcement. But there is still a lot at stake.

One of the most successful rhetorical themes of 2020 was revived, as though Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was getting the band back together. ‘‘We need to get the team vaccinated to save lives,’’ she said, referring of course to our celebrated team of 5 million.

A message of kindness was also introduced, as Ardern presented vaccination as a selfless act that we undertake to protect family members: ‘‘Do it for those you love.’’

The most isolated places in New Zealand were named. Reefton, Tolaga Bay, the Chatham Islands – even the most remote are in the team.

As with the enormously successful alert levels announcement, the vaccination roll-out could not be clearer. People aged 60 and over will be eligible to get the vaccine from July 28, with those over 55 eligible two weeks later. The over-45s and over35s are next, and the assumption is that everyone over 16 is eligible by October. It’s one of those rare occasions when getting old is an advantage.

The Government still hopes that all eligible people will be jabbed by the end of 2021, with around 7m doses to be administered between now and then. The time frames will, of course, depend on future shipments of the Pfizer vaccine.

Ministers had to create certainty around the vaccination programme, not just because we are lagging behind comparable countries but also because there have been confusing stories about vaccine supply, with suggestions that New Zealand was on the verge of running out. This alarmism proved to be false.

While vaccination has not been the ‘‘shambles’’ that critics and opponents of the Government like to paint it as, it has not been a great success either, as those embarrassing OECD rates demonstrate.

So much depends upon the smooth running of a website and a phone line, and the prime minister’s appealing idea about ‘‘love’’ reaching those who might otherwise be uncertain about or suspicious of a national mass vaccination programme.

While vaccination has not been the ‘‘shambles’’ critics paint it as, it has not been a great success either.