WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CWBN)_ Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins requested that the public remained patient until a COVID-19 vaccine is approved and distributed in New Zealand because the process is scheduled to take longer than it has in Europe and other countries.
Explaining the government’s reasons for the difference in approach, the minister stated that because the state of the pandemic is less critical in New Zealand, it is not necessary for the country to authorise emergency approval for the vaccine.
The United Kingdom has been under fire recently for approving the vaccine in a manner which some experts say is too hasty. The European Union stated that the streamlined process adopted by the UK has been insufficient for ensuring the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. The nation has suffered severely due to drastic differences in their early response to the pandemic when compared to New Zealand, which has consecutively been listed one of the best nations in terms of handling the pandemic, allowing Prime Minister Jacinda Arden an easy win of a second term in office.
