Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand’s elimination strategy and subsequent high Covid-19 vaccination coverage gave this country exceptionally low mortality during the first three years of the pandemic. However, widespread circulation of Covid-19 from year three of the pandemic is resulting in frequent infection and reinfection with associated illness, hospitalisation, death, and disability from long Covid.
Available evidence supports a strategy that suppresses Covid infection to reduce the frequency of infection and adverse health effects. This strategy needs to be delivered in an effective and equitable way. An integrated respiratory infectious disease programme offers co-benefits as it can also decrease rates of influenza and other respiratory infections. Cost-effectiveness analysis and integrated surveillance can support the selection and equitable delivery of an optimal mix of interventions.
We need to prepare for future pandemics and there are multiple lessons from the Covid-19 response. A global strategy of eliminating potential pandemics at source and interrupting their spread offers huge benefits for global health security.