Order the boosters now

The Herald reports:

National is calling on the Government to order Pfizer booster shots as soon as possible, or else be left at the back of the global queue.

The call goes against advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which says evidence is not yet conclusive they will be needed, and wealthy countries buying them up will “exacerbate inequities” preventing some countries even getting their first doses.

Party Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop told TVNZ’s Q+A it was important New Zealand did not get left behind with booster shots, as a potential back-up if needed, as it had with the current global rollout.

Australia had “ordered millions” of booster doses, and so too the European Union and United States, Bishop said.

Many OECD countries are going to start rolling out booster shots in September, and we’ve not even ordered any yet.

We absolutely should order boosters now, so we can start rolling them out later this year.