Most of New Zealand‘s health care workers and teachers will soon be legally required to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the government announced Monday.
A new mandate compels doctors, pharmacists, community nurses and many other health care workers to be fully vaccinated by December. Teachers and other education workers must be fully vaccinated by January.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said many in those professions had already had their jabs but they couldn’t leave anything to chance, especially because those people deal with sick patients and young children who aren’t yet approved for the vaccine themselves.
“It’s not an easy decision, but we need the people who work with vulnerable communities who haven’t yet been vaccinated to take this extra step,” Hipkins said.
