Tamariki Vaccinations

COVID-19 Vaccine for tamariki aged 5 to 11 years

Parents and caregivers can get their tamariki aged 5 and over immunised against COVID-19 from January 17, 2022.

The Pfizer vaccine used for tamariki has the same ingredients as the one used for adults, but it is a smaller dose. Tamariki will need two doses to be fully protected. The doses should be at least eight weeks apart. The time between doses could be reduced to 21 days if needed, for example if your child is starting immune suppression treatment.

Parents or caregivers will need to go with their tamariki when they get immunised to provide their consent.

Benefits of immunisation

Immunisation is an important way we keep tamariki safe, like being sun smart or wearing a seatbelt. It protects your tamariki from many serious diseases and stops disease spreading within your whānau and the community. In Aotearoa, children get free vaccinations against 12 diseases, including whooping cough (pertussis), measles and polio.

Benefits of immunisation against COVID-19

Immunising 5 to 11-year-old tamariki helps protect whānau members whose health makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19. The COVID-19 virus can be unpredictable. While COVID-19 generally has milder effects in children, with symptoms being similar to a cold, some children become severely ill and require hospitalisation. Tamariki can also have rare complications such as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) that may require intensive care. Tamariki can also suffer long term effects (known as long COVID), even after mild cases of COVID-19. Like adults, if your tamariki are infected with the COVID-19 virus they may transmit the virus to other people.

Where can my whanau get vaccinated?

All vaccination clinics and pop-up clinics in Te Tauihu can be found here.