A top Covid-19 advisor to the government says it is unfortunate that a million New Zealanders eligible for a vaccine booster have yet to get one.
The chair of the Strategic Covid-19 Public Health Advisory Group, Sir David Skegg, told Morning Report that two shots of the vaccine do not protect adequately against omicron.
"For heaven's sake, get the booster today or make an appointment. No point in having it in a few weeks after you've become sick."
He says New Zealand is more ready for omicron than any other country, but it cannot be beaten in the same fashion as other variants.
Sir David says there is a great consensus in New Zealand against a lot of people getting sick and dying - but the next few months will be very challenging.
"We are going to experience something of what those other countries had. So, I think we all need to fasten our seatbelts.
"It's not just health, although many of us will become sick, and a considerable number of people will die. But it's also going to affect business, it's going to affect social life, it's going to affect education. The best we can do right now is for everyone to get boosted."
