Covid 19: Waikato DHB records 900,000 vaccination milestone

Sanjay Joshi, right, and his son Nachiket run the West Hamilton Pharmacy in Nawton. Photo / Supplied

Waikato reached a Covid-19 milestone this week when 7-year-old Noah Wallace, of Meremere, received the 900,000th vaccination in the Waikato DHB area.

Noah and three of his siblings had their Covid-19 vaccinations at the family-owned West Hamilton Pharmacy in Nawton that is run by pharmacist Sanjay Joshi, his pharmacy technician wife Shobha, and their son Nachiket, who also is a pharmacist.

Noah's mother Lisa Wallace says she brought her children to Hamilton to get their first vaccination when Auckland was in lockdown and they couldn't cross the border northwards, and they repeated the trip for the second vaccination.

"I'm happy my children are now fully protected."

Waikato DHB's Covid-19 directorate executive lead Maree Munro says the DHB was delighted to have reached the milestone and to have had the support of so many dedicated people to get there.

"But we still have some distance to go to protect our whole community. Getting a full course of the Covid-19 vaccination is still the best protection against serious infection.

"Even if you have already caught Covid-19, the Ministry of Health is urging people to finish getting vaccinated so they can be protected as much as possible against a second wave of the current outbreak or a new variant."

West Hamilton Pharmacy has administered 5452 Covid-19 vaccinations, including 192 for children since they started offering Covid vaccinations last year.

Sanjay says he made a special effort to develop a rapport with the people he's vaccinating, especially the children.

"As a pharmacist, we are like a microphone carrying health messages to our community, so it's really important that we use that microphone in the right way to be caring and sensitive to the person who is in front of you."

In the Waikato DHB, 93.5 per cent of people aged 12 years and over have been double-vaccinated for Covid-19. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

He says he is trying to create a good atmosphere by engaging them in conversation about their favourite cartoon characters so that some are even unaware they've actually had their vaccination.

Sanjay's approach seems to be working, as he had people coming in from as far away as Raglan and Meremere to get their vaccinations.

"I never realised this was my forte, but I seem to have earned a reputation," he says.

The pharmacy has been administering free flu jabs for those eligible for the past five years.

Sanjay decided to join in the Covid-19 vaccination effort as well because "everyone can be safe if everyone who can is vaccinated".

He hopes more families make sure their children are vaccinated.

In the Waikato DHB area, 93.5 per cent of people aged 12 and over have been double-vaccinated for Covid-19.

Waikato's Pasifika residents aged 12 and over are 96.2 per cent double-vaccinated, and Māori over 12 have reached 88.1 per cent double-vaccinated.

Boosters have so far been delivered to 68.8 per cent of the eligible population in Waikato.

The milestone announcement comes as the Waikato DHB started its rapid immunisation catch-up campaign to boost influenza and MMR immunisations ahead of a predictably tough winter.