Covid Vaccination in the Rotorua and Taupō districts
Many Rotorua and Taupō vaccination sites are now taking walk-ins. The ability to vaccinate walk-ins will depend on bookings on the day, so to guarantee a slot book online at bookmyvaccine.nz or phone 0800 28 29 26.
You can visit a range of places across Rotorua and Taupō districts to get vaccinated.
We want to make it as easy as possible for you and your whānau to protect yourselves.
If you're waiting for COVID-19 test results and you are symptom-free, you can still be vaccinated. Our community and pop-up vaccination sites are all taking drop-ins.
Novavax vaccine
Novavax is now available to anyone aged 18 years and over, who has not been fully vaccinated and wants a different COVID-19 vaccine option.
Novavax is only available at the Te Whatu Ora Lakes Covid-19 centres in Rotorua and Taupō.
Novavax is the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in New Zealand. It requires two doses to be considered fully vaccinated. A three-week gap is recommended between the first and second dose.
Novavax is not currently available as a booster vaccine.
A prescription is required for anyone receiving Novavax as a second dose, if their first dose was a COVID-19 vaccine other than Novavax.
Click here for more information about Novavax.
Booster doses
Booster doses will now be available for anyone aged 18 and over, who had their second vaccination three months ago. Getting your booster will give you and your whānau greater protection from COVID-19, including Omicron.
Most vaccination sites are taking walk-ins and people can book an appointment with the COVID Vaccination Healthline team on 0800 28 29 26 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week) or people can book boosters online at Book My Vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine is the main vaccine being used in New Zealand for boosters, even if you had a different vaccine for your earlier doses.
Click here to find out more about booster doses.
COVID-19 vaccination and children
Parents and caregivers in the Rotorua and Taupō districts have the opportunity to protect their children aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19 with the child version of the Pfizer vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years is a child specific vaccine. It's different to the adult version. It's only one third of the dose.
In the Rotorua and Taupō districts there are a variety of places, including GPs, pharmacies and our Te Whatu Ora Lakes vaccination centres offering the child specific vaccine.
COVID-19 generally has mild effects in children and is rarely severe or fatal.
Children and young people who have COVID-19 will commonly have no symptoms or only mild respiratory symptoms, similar to a cold.
However, some can become very sick and require hospitalisation.
Click here to learn more about the effects of COVID-19
Like adults, if your tamariki or rangatahi are infected with the COVID-19 virus they may transmit the virus to other people.
The Ministry of Health recommends vaccinations for children and young people to keep them safe and help protect your whānau and community from COVID-19.
Government confirms COVID-19 vaccinations to protect tamariki
Click here to find out more about COVID-19 vaccination for our tamariki.
AstraZeneca
People aged 18 and older can now access the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a small number of locations in the Rotorua and Taupō districts.
AstraZeneca is for people who can’t have the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons and for those who would like an option other than the Pfizer vaccine.
You will need to book in advance for your AstraZeneca vaccination, either on Book My Vaccine or by calling 0800 282 926.
AstraZeneca is free and will be available at a limited number of sites across the country as Pfizer is the main COVID-19 vaccine we are using in New Zealand.
An AstraZeneca booster is also available at least 4 months after the second dose and requires a prescription.
You can get a prescription at the vaccinating AstraZeneca clinic or prior to your appointment with your preferred GP. Visits to GPs for a prescription for an AstraZeneca booster are free.
Click here to find out more about AstraZeneca.
Key information
- Everyone aged over 12 can now book their free vaccination.
- Children aged 5 to 11 are able to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the child version of the Pfizer vaccine.
- Most vaccination sites are taking walk-ins if they have free slots.
- Find out where to get vaccinated at Healthpoint.
- Book online at www.BookMyVaccine.nz or by calling 0800 28 29 26 (8am to 8pm, 7 days).
- By getting vaccinated you’ll be protecting yourself and playing your part to protect New Zealand. It will save lives and help us to further open up the country. There will be some things you can't do if you haven't been vaccinated.
- Please continue to be safe. Being vaccinated does not mean you stop practising COVID-19 health measures such as staying home if you are sick, washing or sanitising hands, wearing a mask on public transport, covering coughs and sneezes, using the COVID tracer app and Bluetooth, wiping down commonly used surfaces, and getting a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
- Members of the public can now get a My Vaccine Pass – for use in New Zealand – or an International Travel Vaccination Certificate through the My Covid Record website: www.mycovidrecord.health.nz.
For nationwide information, visit the official COVID-19 website.
When it is your turn for a vaccination, we will let you know and tell you how to make an appointment.
Talk to a health professional first if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
- are receiving cancer treatment
- have any other medical conditions or are taking other medicines.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get a test and stay at home until you get your results. You can be vaccinated once you have a negative test.
A healthcare worker will do a health check with you and give you some information.
You will have time to ask any questions.
Let your vaccinator know if you:
- have had a severe or immediate allergic reaction to any vaccine or injection in the past
- are taking blood-thinning medication
- have a bleeding disorder.
When you are happy, you will be asked to sign the consent form. You will only be vaccinated if you agree. Then the healthcare worker will inject the vaccine into your arm. You’ll need to stay for 15 minutes after to check you’re okay and they may ask you about side effects.
Once the healthcare worker says you’re fine, you can leave and carry on with your day.
You're second dose of the vaccine will be booked for three weeks later. You get your best protection against COVID-19 after two doses of the vaccine.
The vaccine you are getting is called the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine is different to most traditional vaccines because it is a ‘messenger RNA’ vaccine (mRNA). These vaccines don’t use virus cells at all – instead they contain a piece of RNA code that teaches your body to recognise the virus. This means your body is ready to respond straight away if you get sick.
We know this vaccine is safe because it has gone through months of clinical testing with more than 40,000 people. Since then, millions of people around the world of all different ages, gender and ethnicities have received the vaccine with great results. From these studies, we know that the vaccine has a good safety record.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will not give you COVID-19. There is no possibility it could affect your DNA/genes. The chance of you having a severe allergic reaction is very rare, but if you do our vaccinators have been trained to respond immediately and know exactly what to do.
As with any vaccine, you may experience side effects. It’s important to know that this does not mean that you have COVID-19. What this means is that your body is building up your protection to COVID-19.
If you are unsure about your symptoms or they get worse, talk to your family doctor or call Healthline 0800 358 5453.