18 Mar 2021

Rural medical staff turn down chance of vaccination

From Midday Report, 12:46 pm on 18 March 2021

Rural doctors and nurses are turning down their chance of a Covid vaccine because they would have to take hours out of their day to get one.

The head of the rural GP network, Fiona Bolden, says frontline health staff in Coromandel have been offered the vaccine but would have to travel to Hamilton to get it - that's about a two and a half hour trip each way.

The Health Ministry says the health workers were offered surplus vaccines in Hamilton that needed to be used before expiration.

But rural GPs are worried there could be more problems ahead for those who live in small towns.

National's spokesperson for Rural Communities, Barbara Kuriger, spoke to Max Towle.