When did New Zealand begin its COVID-19 vaccination program?

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Jacinda Ardern Labour politician Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand in 2017.

New Zealand began its COVID-19 vaccination program in February 2021.12

Due to the government's earlier reliance on strict border closures and lockdowns to manage the pandemic, the rollout of the vaccination program was relatively slow. By February 2022, however, nearly 80 percent of the population was fully vaccinated, which helped the country manage subsequent outbreaks of the virus.12