Promoting and supporting influenza immunisation
This website and the national annual influenza promotional campaign is brought to you by The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) and the National Influenza Strategy Group (NISG).
2019 Influenza Immunisation Programme
Start date
From 2019, the Annual Influenza Immunisation Programme will have a fixed start date of 1 April. In previous years, the programme started as soon as the influenza vaccine became available, generally by early March. The change to a fixed start date of 1 April is intended to ensure that the vaccine remains as effective as possible during the peak incidence of influenza, which in recent years has occurred in late winter.
For further information, refer to the Ministry's policy statement on the annual Influenza Immunisation Programme start date.
Goals
- Vaccinate 75% of the population aged 65 years or older against influenza annually
- Improve influenza immunisation coverage for people aged under 65 years with certain medical conditions, and pregnant women
- Improve influenza immunisation uptake for healthcare workers
- 80% of District Health Board-based healthcare workers are vaccinated against influenza annually
- Distribute more than 1.2 million influenza vaccine doses annually, i.e. protect more than 25% of the community
Key messages
- Immunisation is the best protection against influenza. Even if you still catch the flu after immunisation, your symptoms are less likely to be severe.
- Get immunised to stop the spread of influenza around your community. Even if you don't feel sick, you could still be infected with influenza and pass it on to others.
- Influenza immunisation is recommended and FREE for people who are most likely to get very sick, be hospitalised or even die if they catch influenza:
- pregnant women,
- people aged 65 years old or older,
- people aged under 65 years with diabetes, most heart or lung conditions and some other illnesses, and
- children aged 4 years or under who are at risk of ending up in hospital for asthma or other breathing problems.
- Having an influenza immunisation every year can keep older people healthy and active for longer. Influenza immunisation during pregnancy helps protect the woman and her baby against influenza.