Vaccination centre in the Rotorua Central Mall is closed until January 5. Photo / NZME
Vaccination centre in the Rotorua Central Mall is closed until January 5. Photo / NZME
Opinion
Sometimes having a holiday doesn't mean going to the beach, hanging out at the lake or catching up with family and friends.
It could be simply resting your mind from work and clearing the decks of all those things that you've been meaning to get around to doing, butnever had time to finally tick off your list.
Getting a vaccination could be one of those things.
For some of us, we were lining up the minute we were eligible. For others, it's been something to ponder.
Let's say you're one of the latter. You've put it off because you're not sure, you're too busy or you wanted to get Christmas out of the way first and didn't want to risk suffering any side effects while tucking into turkey.
You've finally got yourself sorted mentally and physically, so you head off to get the deed done.
The Rotorua Vaccination Centre in Rotorua Central is closed until January 5, but opened for one day on Friday December 31 following calls from the public. Photo / Andrew Warner
The sign on the door says it's closed until January 5 and you're to go to the local chemist instead.
But two of these weren't open on statutory holidays and the ones that were had queues. You're told to either wait a while or make a booking and come back the next day.
For some, this just might be the tipping point to say, "meh, I'm not doing it".
Rotorua's vaccination centre next to Noel Leeming at Rotorua Central closed on Christmas Eve and the intention was not to reopen until January 5.
The Te Arawa Covid-19 Response Hub in Clayton Rd closed on December 16 and won't reopen for a month.
The Te Arawa Covid-19 Response Hub on Clayton Rd closed for a month on December 16. Photo / NZME
Lakes District Health Board chief executive Nick Saville-Wood and Te Arawa spokesman Monty Morrison both said their reasons were simply to rest staff and volunteers as they prepared for the onslaught of children's vaccinations later this month. They'd worked hard and needed a break.
Saville-Wood said the health board felt assured the three pharmacies that were still doing vaccines - albeit some on reduced days and hours - could cater for the demand.
Some members of the public disagreed and were shocked to find Rotorua's centre was closed - especially when our neighbours in Tauranga had two Bay of Plenty District Health Board-run centres open during the holiday period (Tauriko and First Ave).
You have to feel for the Lakes District Health Board as there's enormous pressure on its staff. It's running two vaccination hubs, two testing centres, two hospitals and three managed isolation facilities.
In this case, it acted swiftly to respond to the public outcry by finding willing staff to work on New Year's Eve, allowing the Rotorua Vaccination Centre to reopen to help ease the demand.
The Rotorua Vaccination Centre in Rotorua Central is closed during the holiday period. Photo / Andrew Warner
While I can understand the Lakes District Health Board's staff are likely to be tapped out and desperate for a holiday, the bottom line is we are in a pandemic.
A new variant has entered our country, positive cases have been rising, vaccination numbers in the Lakes district are the fourth worst out of 20 in New Zealand, and Rotorua is a holiday destination.
It's my view that the Rotorua Vaccination Centre should have been open on a skeleton staff during the holiday period every day except Christmas Day.
