First pharmacy in Hawke's Bay rolls out Covid vaccine

Karen Wotherspoon becomes the first person to receive the Covid vaccine at the Unichem Jeff Whittaker Pharmacy, which became the first pharmacy in the region to deliver a dose. Photo / Warren Buckland

Karen Wotherspoon travelled from Waipukurau to Havelock North on Tuesday to become the first person in Hawke's Bay to get a Covid-19 vaccine at a pharmacy.

"It didn't hurt at all, it's a little warm, but it didn't hurt."

Unichem Jeff Whittaker Pharmacy had 48 people signed up to get their Covid vaccine across the day, the first pharmacy in the region to roll out the vaccine.

Whittaker said "a lot" of work was involved behind the scenes for a pharmacy to offer Covid vaccinations.

"We are using our own booking system, it's exceptionally good," Whittaker said.

"We have been working on this for seven months. We started a manual list, which was entered electronically. We also have five nurses from the DHB who will be working in shifts."

Whittaker said his wife Beverley had done an enormous amount of work in administration. Rolling out the Covid vaccine is just an extension to what pharmacy's do."

Whittaker said 160 years ago, his great-grandfather had a pharmacy, and pharmacists and pharmacies were moving with the times.

"We made everything when I started 60 years ago, we compounded everything," he said.

"When my great-grandfather started he had access to cocaine and heroin as eye drops - and leeches.

"Now everything is bottled for us."

The pharmacy will offer Covid vaccinations five days per week, and bookings can be made in person or by phone.

Whittaker has been an advocate for vaccination and has been one of the biggest providers of the flu vaccine in Hawke's Bay for many years.

"We are hoping to book 60 people a day. If we have the space, we can do walk-ins."

Paige Allan, a locum pharmacist, was in-charge of ensuring the rollout was smooth.

"I am here to make sure everything runs smoothly and next week I will be at two other pharmacies in the region to help out."

The pharmacy is the first of several pharmacies and General Practices working with the DHB to deliver the vaccine to the region's population.

Wotherspoon said her signing up for the vaccine was a coincidence, but it was a 'lovely experience'.

"I was in Havelock North last week doing errands. I saw the sign for Covid vaccine outside the pharmacy and went inside to ask about it," she said.

"I got an appointment to get it and got it done."

Along with the pharmacy, the DHB also has three super clinics and a number of other options for vaccination including marae-based clinic.

As of July 28, in Hawke's Bay, 57,725 doses of Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine have been administered with 24,287 people completing both courses. The week ending July 25, the DHB delivered 5613 doses.

The DHB is currently vaccinating people over 60 in Group 4 as well as continuing to vaccinate anyone not yet vaccinated in Groups 1, 2 and 3.

Once it's your turn, you can be vaccinated at any time – there is no cut off.