Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): While vaccinations and booster shots remain the best defence against COVID-19, having more medicines available is an important step in helping prevent vulnerable people from becoming unwell and needing further treatment. Today, I announced that New Zealand has added 60,000 courses of Paxlovid, an oral medicine for this year that will be available to New Zealanders with a valid prescription. We've also secured access to New Zealand's first pre-exposure prophylactic treatment for COVID-19, Evusheld. This treatment provides an option for those who cannot have vaccines.