A spokesperson for health lobby Patients Voice Aotearoa says Government spending cutbacks will widen health inequities for Māori and Pasifka people.
Pharmac has this year dropped the subsidy allowing Māori and Pasifika to start getting free flu vaccines at 55 rather than 65.
Malcolm Mulholland of Ngāti Kahungunu believes it will lead to more flu in that section of the population – and cost the taxpayer more in hospital care and treatment.
” You front-end people getting the jab in order for them not to get the flu – or if they do get the flu, for them to be able to manage it well. Otherwise what you will see are patients presenting to hospitals and E.D. for them to have more disastrous effects on their health,” he says.
Mr Mulholland says Patients Voice Aotearoa is concerned the axing of Te Aka Whai Ora was not based on expert evidence.
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