D-Day for those who forgo vaccine pass

The first day of the Covid-19 traffic light system also marked the first day of unemployment for unvaccinated employees of workplaces using vaccine passes.

Southbridge mum Jenni Treymane was one of the newly unemployed because she had decided not to get vaccinated.

A pool instructor at Rolleston, Treymane did not buy into vaccination conspiracies but nervousness over being three months’ pregnant after three years of fertility issues meant she had decided to leave her job.

Science has shown the Covid-19 vaccine is safe at any stage of pregnancy. Pregnant women have a high risk of being hospitalised if they catch the virus, and for their babies to be delivered too early or stillborn.

Hutt Valley trainee plastic surgeon Jessica Papali’i-Curtin and Napier GP Caitlin Northern got vaccinated against Covid-19 while pregnant, and have been urging other pregnant and lactating women to do the same.

When the vaccine roll-out first started in New Zealand, the guidance was for pregnant women to discuss getting the jab with their GP. Medications, including vaccines, are not usually trialled on pregnant women, so data was lacking.

But millions of pregnant women worldwide have since been vaccinated against Covid-19, and studies show the vaccine causes no risk to the mother or baby at any stage in pregnancy.

Thursday was Treymane’s last day at work and had proved emotional, she said.

‘‘There were a lot of tears. We were a very tight-knit team that relied on each other.’’

Treymane’s husband had been vaccinated, and he supported her decision, even though the drop in income meant they were now selling their house to move in with her parents for the foreseeable future.

‘‘It’s definitely difficult.’’

She had not ruled out getting the vaccine after she gave birth.

Elsewhere, some businesses were choosing to close their doors rather than use vaccine certificates.

Christchurch tattoo parlour Burning Needlz posted a message on its Facebook page advising it would not operate under the current system.

‘‘We refuse to discriminate, and we do not want to have anything to do with dividing this nation. The Government’s ridiculous mandate ... means that we will not trade under that system.’’

It was also a day of complaints for local councils as unvaccinated ratepayers vented their anger at being turned away from council amenities because they didn’t have a vaccine passport.

Christchurch City Council acting citizens and community manager Nigel Cox said it received 62 formal complaints yesterday morning.

He said it had also received ‘‘feedback’’ through other channels, including social media, the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, councillors and in mayor’s messages.