Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins rules out piggy-backing off Australia for vaccines

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand is not piggy-backing off Australia's Pfizer vaccine order. Photo / Mark Mitchell

More than 2000 health workers are being trained and mobilised, nine ultra-cold freezers are being prepped and specialist cold chain containers are on order in anticipation of the first wave of Covid-19 vaccines landing on our shores.

It comes as the Government's spending watchdog called for more transparency about how the $62 billion set aside for the Covid-19 response was being spent.

Auditor General John Ryan said it was too difficult to know how much had been spent on which projects because the usual minimum reporting wasn't detailed enough for the public and Parliament to hold the Government to account.

"Current and future generations will want to know where the money has gone. They will also want to know what has been achieved.

"Maintaining public trust and confidence in the Covid-19 response requires more transparency, and accountability, than the minimum reporting requirements provide."

Meanwhile, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins shut down speculation New Zealand might piggy-back off Australia's order of 10,000 Pfizer doses set to be delivered by February 22.

"If there are 10,000 vaccines going to Western Australia, they'll be going to Western Australia," he told Parliament during Question Time.

And he revealed the Government hadn't offered the manufacturer more money for earlier access.

Earlier Hipkins said there was a "70 per cent chance" the Pfizer BioNTech vaccines destined for the arms of frontline workers would arrive in the country by the end of March.

But district health boards have been told to "be ready" in case doses are flown in earlier.

The vaccine - one of four on order - yesterday crossed its final hurdle by getting ministerial sign-off based on "decision to use" advice from the Health Ministry.

It has now fully been approved for all adults aged over 16 unless they are receiving any of four specific cancer treatments.

Being vaccinated will require two jabs three weeks apart and a 30-minute observation period after each injection, like many other vaccines.

Doses will be logged in the new National Immunisation Solution, which will allow health professionals and patients access to records online once fully implemented and track the location, temperature and administration of every vaccine.

Hipkins said the Pfizer vaccine crossing the final hurdle was a "critical stage" and meant work could begin to educate Kiwis on what to expect and plan the vaccine campaign.

So far about 1800 health professionals have put up their hands to administer the jabs to fill the 2000 to 3000 positions the Government expects it needs for the roll-out aiming to vaccinate every suitable Kiwi.

Final checks on the ultra-cold freezers, which can hold up to 1.5 million doses at the correct -70C temperature, are being completed on the seven in Auckland this week and on the two in the South Island by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, the Government has been told to improve its reporting on how it's spending the $62b set aside for the Covid response.

The advertising campaign will start next week and ramp up ahead of vaccines being offered to the general public in the middle of the year.

Hipkins warned there'd been reports of scammers overseas taking advantage of people by offering them fictional spots in the vaccine queue for a fee.

The vaccines will be free to everyone and at no point will New Zealanders be asked to pay to secure a jab.

Hipkins urged Kiwis to be suspicious of any out-of-the-blue contact asking for personal information or payment and to only believe trusted sources of information.

Facebook and Google have both committed to stamping out misinformation and promoting authoritative sites.

There were three cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation yesterday.