Just over 1500 people who received a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot in Queenstown and Central Otago may not be fully protected against the disease after the discovery of a storage issue with their shots. 

The vaccines are believed to have been stockpiled at the incorrect temperature, an issue which poses no potential health problems to the people who received them but which might mean they provided a lower level of protection than the recipients expected. 

People affected by the issue received their shots in various locations in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago, between December 1 and January 28. 

Queenstown-Lakes is one of the main Covid-19 hotspots in the current outbreak, and as of last Thursday night, there were 1226 active cases there. 

There are 165 active cases in Central Otago. 

Southern District Health Board chief executive Chris Fleming said the problem was an "isolated incident", and the vaccine provider – an occupational health provider in the Queenstown-Lakes area – had stopped providing vaccinations until a full investigation had been completed. 

"The SDHB recognises the inconvenience and anxiety it may cause for the affected individuals," he said. 

"We sincerely apologise to those people who have been impacted by this incident, and also to their whanau. 

"The processes that have been highlighted by this issue enables us to ensure all of our vaccinated population have the most effective protection possible." 

Mr Fleming said temperature issues with vaccine storage could happen at any point between the manufacture of the medicine and its administration. 

"There are robust requirements in place to ensure that vaccine is stored correctly and that issues are identified quickly, and any impact is minimised". 

The DHB pledged to contact all affected people within the next three working days and offer detailed advice about what they should do. 

Anyone with concerns would be able to have a fully-funded consultation with a GP, Fleming said. 

SDHB medical officer of health Susan Jack stressed that no one affected was at risk of harm. 

"However, in these circumstances, the vaccine is not considered to be potent nor to produce a reliable level of immunity." 

The Covid-19 booster is regarded as one of the most effective public health measures to both limit the spread of the Omicron variant of the disease and also reduce the severity of its impact. 

"This group of people are encouraged to receive a replacement vaccination to ensure that they benefit from a high level of immunity against Covid-19," Dr Jack said. 

The Ministry of Health announced 17,522 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, 506 of them being in Otago and Southland. 

There are 6086 active cases of Covid-19 in the southern DHB area, and five people have been hospitalised. Just over 1500 people who received a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot in Queenstown and Central Otago may not be fully protected against the disease after the discovery of a storage issue with their shots.