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Home / New Zealand

Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Christchurch woman with bad reaction to vaccine trying for weeks to get booster

Devon Bolger
By Devon Bolger
Digital producer, Christchurch, NZ Herald·NZ Herald·
12 Apr, 2022 07:02 PM3 mins to read

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Defence force Hercules takes off, Ruapehu in its most active state in roughly 15-years and borders open to Australians, all in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

A woman who suffered a severe reaction to the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine says it has been a "nightmare" trying to get a booster shot.

Christchurch resident Cushla, 68, believes in the vaccine and wants to be as protected as possible.

When she first called the Covid Vaccination Healthline to book her booster and explained how her body reacted, she was told she would need to get it under medical supervision.

She contacted her GP who said they were no longer offering the vaccine.

Unsure where to go next, she went back to the Covid Vaccination Healthline and was put through to a supervisor who gave her a list of three places to contact.

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The first was no longer offering the vaccine and the second was only holding a night clinic.

This would not work as medical teams are not present at night, Cushla said.

She called the third place and explained her dilemma. She was told that they would be able to facilitate the booster shot but she would need to check with the doctor that it was okay.

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After calling the doctor and explaining the situation again Cushla was told a nurse would ring her back but she has yet to be contacted.

She even reached out to a friend's GP who could not do it either.

"It is very frustrating. I wonder how many people in my situation would keep pushing," she said.

"Am I meant to just ring every single GP in Christchurch?"

Cushla has now spent weeks trying to get a booking.

Canterbury DHB ECC incident controller Tracey Maisey said if somebody has been advised to have the vaccination under medical supervision this should be able to be facilitated in primary care, in the first instance.

However, she said they can facilitate for the vaccination to take place at the hospital if necessary.

Cushla said she had not been told it was possible to get it through the hospital and has had no luck with primary care.

"I'll just wait till after Easter now. I guess I'll ring the number again and tell them that I should be able to get it at the hospital and see what they say.

"I feel like just going to a walk-in clinic and risking it but I don't think that is the best idea."

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She said the whole experience has been "really poor" and thinks it should have been thought about ahead of time.

"It's been really, really difficult, quite a nightmare really and very stressful."

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