COVID-19

The COVID-19 Protection Framework, also known as the traffic light system, will be removed from 11.59pm tonight, Monday 12 September, so all New Zealanders can continue to move forward with certainty, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced

The Government has announced it is ending most of its COVID-19 controls 

Medsafe has issued a warning that myocarditis and pericarditis may be possible side effects of the new Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid 

The pharmacy that gave Rory Nairn the Covid vaccine didn't warn him about myocarditis, but a health leader says the wording of the advice it received may have been confusing

To ease the rollout of dispensing COVID-19 antivirals without prescriptions, all pharmacies now have free access to the shared medical record viewer Conporto

A Heath Ministry employee says the pharmacy that administered Rory Nairn's vaccine had a responsibility to keep up to date with the latest advice, but that hadn't been happening

Vaccination expert Nikki Turner says the vaccine-related death of a Dunedin man is a reminder that all vaccinators must be cautious when seeking informed consent 

A coronial inquest is set to begin over the death of Dunedin plumber Rory Nairn, who died shortly after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine

Access to the first preventive medicine for COVID-19 will be limited to a very targeted group of severely immunocompromised people via hospital specialists, says RNZCGP medical director Bryan Betty 

New Zealand is moving out of its second COVID-19 wave, but overseas data suggest many waves are still to come – though likely less severe, immunisation expert and specialist GP Nikki Turner told last week’s South GP CME conference