March 02, 2023
Pēpi added to flu shot free list
Te Pātaka Whaioranga-Pharmac has widened access to free flu shots to tamariki aged 6 months to 12 years and will again offer it to Māori and Pacific peoples aged 55 to 64 years.
Chief medical officer David Hughes says the flu vaccine is already free for people over 65, people with long-term conditions (like asthma and diabetes), those who are pregnant, and people with specific mental health conditions or addiction issues.
Last year the vaccine was free for children aged 3 to 12 years because of the high chance they could pick it up at school or kindergarten and bring it home to affect the wider whānau.
The widened access to the influenza vaccine will start from April 1.
Dr Hughes says it’s been a rough start to the year for many New Zealanders, after several years of dealing with the effects of COVID-19, and Pharmac would like to see the most vulnerable people vaccinated against flu so the impact of illness on their lives and the wider health system is minimised.”