April 12, 2024
Flu shot cuts bad economics
With the influenza season now here, the Paediatric Society Te Kahui Matai Arotamariki o Aotearoa is warning cuts in eligibility for free flu shots could be adding unnecessary costs to the health system.
The Government has dropped funding for free vaccinations for under-12s as well as for Māori and Pacific peoples aged between 50 and 65, where there is a higher than normal risk of transmission and severity.
Society president Owen Sinclair says influenza is deadly and expensive, but vaccines and prevention are safe and cheap. It is much cheaper to stop illnesses in the first place than treat their effects.
Saving just a handful of costly ICU admissions could pay for the entire vaccination programme.
He says the policy change disregarded the professional advice and advocacy of Paediatric Society members.
Influenza significantly strains New Zealand’s health system annually, with children, Māori, and Pacific communities being among the most affected due to higher rates of transmission and severity.