Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic is continuing in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) with repeated waves of infection associated with newly evolved Omicron subvariants that flourish by evading established immunity. International evidence shows that even during the Omicron era, Covid-19 vaccines continue to provide protection against infection, hospitalisation, death, and Long Covid, as well as improving outcomes during pregnancy. NZ could get better public health value from these vaccines by: Continuing to ensure vaccines are regularly updated to match the dominant circulating subvariants Promoting high vaccine coverage and additional doses, particularly for the most at-risk groups (older people, those with important medical conditions, pregnant people) Extending eligibility for additional doses to younger age groups, especially those at occupational risk Maintaining and improving infrastructure to track and implement key measures, particularly vaccine coverage and reminder/recall for at-risk groups Combining vaccination with other measures as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy for respiratory infections.