Professor Peter McIntyre from University of Otago is the lead author for the piece, and says New Zealand needs to get its objective straight as it heads into 2022. Prof McIntyre says the world is incredibly lucky to have seen the development of vaccines that work so well. Delta made Aotearoa vulnerableHe says New Zealand was most vulnerable to the Delta strain because at the time it escaped MIQ into the Auckland community vaccination rates were still low. "So we're in really really good shape. Asked if low vaccination rates allow the development of variants, he says their emergence will be driven by "infection pressure".

Source: Otago Daily Times December 18, 2021 19:37 UTC