The Ministry of Health has denied rumours children collapsed at an Auckland vaccination centre on Monday.
The claims say five kids fainted at the North Shore Stadium drive-through vaccination centre and instead of calling ambulances, they got parents to take kids to the hospital to not scare other parents.
None of the rumours, which have been shared on social media, are backed up by any evidence and MoH has told Newshub they are incorrect.
"We are aware of some claims of adverse events occurring at the Eventfinda Stadium drive-through vaccination centre on the North Shore yesterday [Monday]. These are incorrect," NRHCC Clinical Director, Dr Anthony Jordan told Newshub on Tuesday.
"We can confirm there are no reports of any such events occurring."
Jordan recommended parents and caregivers who want to know more about vaccinations contact trusted, official sources such as their GP.
One of those spreading the claim is former TV host Liz Gunn, who was filmed questioning a One News reporter why she wasn't reporting on the rumour.
Newshub contacted Gunn to ask if she had any evidence but she did not provide any, instead responding with an angry, conspiratorial rant.
"I do have something powerful to say William but since you were irresponsible enough to go to print with your government approved hit piece on me without waiting to talk to me, I will not be saying it to you.
"Please go to print with that statement verbatim ( means quoting ALL words William that I have said here) ...
"Of course that would not fit with the current zeitgeist of your sorry Newshub outift which, through this covid propaganda-led nightmare, has appeared to be to seek to discredit any who hold deep concerns about this current government's very dubious and, to many Kiwis, dangerous policies."
Auckland councillor Richard Hills said the claim was "nonsense".
"All my contacts who were there say this is nonsense and there was an ambulance called for an unrelated incident in the stadium not anything to do with vaccines," Hills told Newshub.
Monday was the first day of the paediatric vaccine rollout in New Zealand, which is available for children aged between five and 11 years old.
Jordan said that more than 6,600 children under 11-years-old received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine across Auckland on Monday.
The rumours emerged on the same day an Auckland mum and her two children endured anti-vaccine protesters at the same venue.
The protesters banged on their car windows and scared them as they queued to get vaccinated.
"Then one lady wouldn't move away from my car, so I actually opened my door to scare her and to get her to move away from my car. And then they kept coming up to everyone's windows, walking up and down," the mum told Newshub.
Jordan says a wide range of options are available for parents and caregivers to bring their 5 to 11-year-olds along to, including walk-in vaccination centres, drive-up vaccination centres, GPs and pharmacies. There are currently more than 380 vaccinating GPs and pharmacies across Auckland.
People can walk in or drive up any time at community vaccination centres, and also book in with GPs and pharmacies. Individual bookings are available at BookMyVaccine.nz, and bookings for two or more members of the whānau can be made by calling 0800 28 29 26.
