Confusion about when people can get their booster shots is in some cases turning to anger, with pharmacists bearing the brunt of it.
The Government announced on Tuesday the waiting time between the second and third dose will be reduced from six months to four from January 5, 2022.
But some pharmacies are being pressured to administer it now.
Lower Hutt's Wellworks Pharmacy was on Thursday making it crystal-clear when people are eligible for their COVID-19 booster shot. A sign was needed because some people don't want to wait until then.
"So far we've turned away dozens, easily dozens," says Ben Latty.
And when they're turned away, the pharmacists can cop it.
"We've had a couple of slightly firm, demanding and frustrated customers," he said.
The confusion appears to be centred around different timings of when to get the third jab. Booster doses were first made available from November 29 for anyone who'd had their second dose six months earlier.
That was cut back to four months on Tuesday because of the threat of an Omicron outbreak.
However according to the Ministry of Health, the four-month booster won't be available until January 5.
"Having these kind of very grave and vague messages has not been helpful to the customer and for us, and we still to this moment don't really know what's going on," says Latty.
Some Wellingtonians don't know when they're eligible for their third dose, and opposition MPs say the confusion is due to a lack of communication from the Government.
ACT leader David Seymour says people should be allowed to get the booster now.
"If four-[month] boosters are our strategy for Omicron and we need to buy time, let's do it straight away - that would be logical."
And some pharmacies are following that logic already.
"In Auckland we're hearing they're actually able to do it and are doing it right now as we speak," Latty says.
Newshub rang several pharmacies in Auckland to try and book a booster. Two were open for bookings, one was sticking to the mid-January timeframe, while another had a waiting list due to system delays.
Delays this pharmacy won't want come January 5.
