Photo: RNZThe Health Minister is making an urgent law change after a High Court judge ruled it was "reasonably arguable" the Government's provisional approval of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is "problematic". Doing so could undermine public confidence in the vaccine and waste vaccine stock that already in New Zealand. In response, Health Minister Andrew Little said the Government was making an urgent "technical amendment to modernise the law". There are occasions when the health needs of a population call for urgent access to a medicine, vaccine or treatment and we need to keep this option available for some circumstances." The vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech Covid 19, has been formally tested on more than 40,000 people - half received the vaccine, the other half a placebo which consisted of slightly salty water.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 18, 2021 05:15 UTC