Promoting and supporting influenza immunisation
This website and the national annual influenza promotional campaign is brought to you by The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC).
2021 Influenza Immunisation Programme
Everything you need to know about FLU handbook and posters
- We are working to have the Everything you need to know about FLU handbook available online before the Programme starts on 14 April.
- Printed Flu Handbooks and campaign posters will be posted to providers as early as possible.
Click on the link for the Summary of 2021 influenza vaccines table.
Click on the link for the 2021 Influenza immunisation consent form.
Claiming for administration of funded influenza vaccines
Funded vaccines eligible for payment must be administered within the subsidised period. In 2021, the subsidised period for FLUAD QUAD is 14 April through 31 December 2021.
Ordering influenza vaccines
FLUAD® QUAD (vaccination of eligible adutls aged 65 years or older begins 14 April)
- FLUAD QUAD is only approved for use in adults aged 65 years or older
- Only order FLUAD QUAD if you are vaccinating people aged 65+ years.
- Online ordering at hcl.co.nz (preferred option) or download, print and fax the FLUAD QUAD order form (faxed or emailed orders incur a manual order processing fee of $10 per order, toll-free fax: 0508 408 358).
- Funded for adults who are eligible to receive publicly funded healthcare services.
- PHARMAC is funding this additional vaccine brand, a vaccine specifically made for those aged 65 and over, to ensure this important group has certainty of supply as early as possible, and to ensure there is enough influenza vaccine to meet demand and supply is continuous.
- Link to the FLUAD QUAD data sheet on the MedSafe website.
AFLURIA® QUAD (cannot be ordered at this time)
- For children and adults aged 5–64 years.
- Funded for children and adults who met the influenza vaccination eligibility criteria.
- Available for those who do not meet the funded eligibility criteria through private immunisation providers (general practitioners or pharmacists or occupational health) at a cost.
- Link to the AFLURIA QUAD data sheet on the Medsafe website.
INFLUVAC® TETRA (cannot be ordered at this time)
- For children aged 3–4 years.
- Funded for children who met the influenza vaccination eligibility criteria.
- Available for those who do not meet the funded eligibility criteria through private immunisation providers (general practitioners) at a cost.
- The INFLUVAC TETRA data sheet will be published on the Medsafe website before 17 May 2021.
AFLURIA® QUAD JUNIOR (cannot be ordered at this time)
- For children aged under 3 years, i.e., 6–35 months.
- Funded for children who met the influenza vaccination eligibility criteria.
- Available for those who do not meet the funded eligibility criteria through general practitioners at a cost.
- Link to the AFLURIA QUAD JUNIOR data sheet on the Medsafe website.
Needles for influenza vaccines
The AFLURIA QUAD and FLUAD QUAD vaccines for 2021 will be supplied without needles. Influenza vaccine needles need to be purchased separately,
At the time of vaccination, the choice of needle length will be based on the vaccinator’s clinical judgment to ensure needle length is appropriate to reach muscle.
Needles are available for purchase from EBOS Healthcare or pharmacy wholesalers.
- Orders can be placed for distribution in the lead up to the programme start date.
- There are different needles for FLUAD QUAD and AFLURIA QUAD.
- The order codes are described in the table below, it is important to use the correct code for the needles you want to order.
| Influenza vaccine | Pharmacode | EBOS order code | Description | Pack size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLUAD QUAD | 2605627 | 21122020 |
BD |
100 needles per box |
| AFLURIA QUAD | 2605619 | 21122019 | BD Hypodermic needle 25g x 5/8'' (orange) |
100 needles per box |
Seqirus has ordered adequate supplies of needles to support the Influenza Immunisation Programme.
EBOS Healthcare
Phone (primary care): 0800 105 501
Website: eboshealthcare.co.nz
Start date
- The 2021 Influenza Immunisation Programme will commence on 14 April 2021, for people aged 65 and over.
- The programme for people aged under 65 years is due to begin on 17 May.
- The Ministry asks vaccinators to focus on immunising people eligible for a funded vaccine.
- The influenza vaccination programme runs to 31 December 2021. All groups can be immunised through to December.
- Refer to the table below for details.
| Vaccine | Ordering and distribution | From 14 April 2021 |
From 17 May 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLUAD® QUAD |
Order from 15 March. Distribution |
Adults aged 65 and over including health and other frontline workers aged 65 and over |
All adults aged 65 and over – eligible and non-eligible |
| AFLURIA® QUAD |
Order from 27 April. Distribution in time for the Programme start date. |
All people aged 5–64 years – eligible and non-eligible |
|
| INFLUVAC TETRA |
Order from 27 April. Distribution in time for the Programme start date. |
All children aged aged 3–4 years – eligible and non-eligible | |
| AFLURIA® QUAD JUNIOR |
Order from 27 April. Distribution in time for the Programme start date. |
All children aged 6–35 months – eligible and non-eligible. |
- The start dates are later than in previous years based on information about vaccine availability provided by supplier Seqirus.
- It also takes into account the immunisation sector’s requirement for more reliable and consistent access to the influenza vaccine, particularly at the start of the programme when demand is highest.
- The prioritisation period dates are based on our programme goals and the availability of FLUAD QUAD, which is scheduled for distribution slightly earlier than AFLURIA QUAD JUNIOR, INFLUVAC TETRA and AFLURIA QUAD.
- This provides an opportunity for vaccinators to immunise those over 65 ahead of the influenza season and ahead of the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available for this group.
Equity
The Māori Influenza Vaccination Programme is continuing in 2021 as part of the Ministry of Health' commitment to improving equity for Māori. The programme will begin on 14 April 2021 for kaumātua Māori aged 65 and over.
Occupational health and healthcare workforces
As in previous years it is important healthcare and other frontline workers get immunised against influenza.
- Occupational health services can immunise such workforces from 14 April 2021 if 65 and over.
Funding for immunising health and disability care workers
The Ministry will be providing funding to support influenza vaccination for health and disability sector employees, self-employed lead maternity carers and carers employed under individualised funding arrangements who:
- are not eligible for a funded vaccination under the eligibility criteria stated in the Pharmaceutical Schedule,
- have patient/client contact,
- have not previously been the recipient of an employer-funded influenza vaccination whilst in their current place of employment (not including one reimbursed by the Ministry of Health in 2020).
- Further information on how to claim will be available on the Ministry of Health website.
Quadrivalent influenza vaccines
The 2021 vaccines will be quadrivalent influenza vaccines that contain the following four influenza strains, the first two strains are new to the 2021 vaccine:
- A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
- A/Hong Kong/2671/2019 (H3N2)-like virus
- B/Washington/02/2019-like virus
- B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus
Resources
- Influenza Immunisation Programme packs will be posted out in time for start of the 2021 Programme.
- Programme specific resources will be available for ordering and delivery in time for the start of the 2021 Programme.
- HealthEd resources can be ordered from www.healthed.govt.nz:
- After your child is immunised HE1504
- After your immunisation HE2505
- Immunise during pregnancy HE2503
- Immunisation for older people HE2540
- The National Immunisation Register HE2423