The Ministry of Health has hinted that it will look at alternative vaccines for people who react badly to the Pfizer shot.
Some people want to get vaccinated but can't receive the vaccines their doctors recommend because they are not available in New Zealand. Photo: AFP
People with chronic health conditions which prevent them from being immunised against Covid-19 say they feel like outcasts because of how the government has approached vaccination.
They fear being seen as lepers when vaccination certificates are rolled out domestically, and do not feel part of the prime minister's "team of 5 million" messaging.
Some feel backed into a hole, wanting to get vaccinated but unable to because vaccines their doctors suggest they could receive are not available in New Zealand.
Rachael Bailey is one of them.
They have a number of health conditions including multiple degenerative diseases, but still rolled up their sleeve for the first Pfizer shot, only to face significant side effects.
"I realised that I was struggling for breath, that I was breathing really shallowly, and that my heart itself hurt," they said.
"It wasn't like a panic attack. It wasn't like when you get heartburn, this was, you know, my heart hurting. I turned grey.
"I did some vitals and my heart was 57 beats per minute, which for me is is an astonishing drop."
Bailey's temperature also dropped into a hypothermic state.
The symptoms eased and increased over and over in the coming days.
Seven weeks on, they have experienced a significant loss in muscle strength, suffered from exhaustion and a depressive episode, and now they even struggle to walk short distances, losing their breath.
"And I'm a hiker, you know, I will go out on the coastline and walk for hours. So, really, really, really unusual."
Due to the reaction, Bailey is not getting the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and fears for what that will mean for their future.
"I am in the throes of the biggest depressive episode I've had in years because I feel totally surrounded by a denial of my existence and I feel like I'm facing a future possibly being unemployable, possibly never being able to go to a concert again or go to my favourite restaurant with my husband, nothing.
"And where does that end? You could be banned from anything but online shopping."
Bailey has been told they would likely be able to receive the Novavax inoculation, which is understood to have fewer side effects for people with their health conditions.
But the vaccine is not available in New Zealand, despite being purchased by the government.
Some vials of Novavax at a lab in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in the United States. Photo: AFP
'Merit' in providing other vaccines, ministry says
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it recognises the merit in offering other vaccines.
"So far, Pfizer is the only vaccine that Cabinet has agreed to use in the general population in New Zealand," the statement reads.
"Last month, New Zealand announced a donation of 708,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to the COVAX facility, for delivery in October. The remaining doses in our purchase agreement will be available in 2022. No decisions have been made about these doses.
"We will also consider the use of Janssen in New Zealand once delivery schedules have been confirmed.
"Following MedSafe's regulatory decision on the safety and effectiveness of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine and once delivery schedules have been confirmed, we will likewise consider the use of Novavax in New Zealand.
"We recognise that there may be merit in providing a different vaccine for those individuals unable to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine."
Bailey has now submitted a petition asking for small amounts of other approved vaccines to be made available to people with health conditions.
They said only offering the Pfizer vaccine is discriminating against people with health conditions.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there will not be unpleasant consequences for people with real health issues.
She said they will not be barred from events like concerts, or from restaurants and bars, when vaccine certificates come into force.
"We will have provision for the very limited circumstances in which someone could not be vaccinated."
Michael Dreyer, the group manager of digital services at the Ministry of Health, said how that will work is not yet known.
"We are working with a number of technical partners to enable the My COVID Record product to be launched as soon as possible while ensuring it is robust and secure," Dreyer said.
"It will be delivered in stages with the final parts expected to go live for the general public at the end of November. In the meantime, there remain many underlying technical components that need to be brought together securely.
"My COVID Record draws upon information in the national Covid-19 Immunisation Register (CIR).
"With support from our clinical advisors, we are looking at options for how information about people who can't receive a vaccination can be recorded in the CIR, and how such information would be displayed in My COVID Record and the Domestic Vaccine Certificate."
Vaccine certificates are expected to be introduced in November.
