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).

2020 Influenza Immunisation Programme

The Resource Section is in the process of being updated. This section will be available early March.

For the ordering of 'After Your Immunisation' please go to www.healthed.govt.nz and in search, enter HE2505.

2019 Influenza Vaccine

Refund for unused/expired funded influenza vaccine

Please consider keeping some doses of Afluria Quad or FluQuadri for non-funded vaccination of pregnant women or travellers to the Northern Hemisphere in early 2020.

  • To be eligible for a refund, the unused stock must be returned prior to 31 January 2020.
  • One refund will be available from any one account for a total of:
    • 10 doses of unused INFLUVAC TETRA and/or
    • 1 dose of unused FLUARIX TETRA and/or
    • 5 doses of unused FLUQUADRI.
  • No refund is available for unused AFLURIA QUAD doses.
  • Contact Healthcare Logistics on 0508 425 358 to request a Return Authorisation.

Note: Claims for influenza vaccinations after 31 December will not be accepted.

Brief information about the 2020 Influenza Immunisation Programme

The funded influenza vaccines for 20201

  • AFLURIA® QUAD (Seqirus) is the funded influenza vaccine for adults and children aged 3 years or older.
  • AFLURIA® QUAD JUNIOR (Seqirus) is the funded influenza vaccine for infants and children aged 6–35 months.

Link to the AFLURIA® QUAD / AFLURIA® QUAD JUNIOR 2020 season data sheet on Medsafe.2

The influenza strains included in the 2020 quadrivalent influenza vaccines3

  • A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
  • A/South Australia/34/2019 (H3N2)-like virus
  • B/Washington/02/2019-like virus
  • B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus

The 2020 Influenza Immunisation Programme start date4

The Influenza Immunisation Programme starts from 1 April each year, subject to influenza vaccine being available for distribution.

New Zealand influenza surveillance data shows that in recent years the peak of influenza activity has been in August. A start date from 1 April for influenza vaccination provides better protection for our vulnerable population during the expected peak of influenza activity. 

For consistency, the Ministry of Health recommends that providers of non-funded influenza immunisation, such as workplace vaccinators, also consider commencing their service on 1 April.

References

  1. Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC). Pharmaceutical schedule February 2020 [Internet]. Wellington: PHARMAC; 2020 [updated 2020 January 23; cited 2020 January 30]. Available from: https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/2020/02/01/Schedule.pdf.
  2. Medsafe. Data sheet – Afluria Quad/Afluria Quad Junior [Internet]. Wellington: New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority; 2019 [updated 2019 November 6; cited 2020 February 10]. Available from: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/a/Afluriainj.pdf.
  3. World Health Organization. Recommended composition of influenza virus vaccines for use in the 2020 southern hemisphere influenza season. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2019;42(94):473–96. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329390/WER9442-eng-fre.....
  4. Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health policy statement – annual influenza immunisation programme start date [Internet]. Wellington: Ministry of Health; 2018. Available from: https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/pages/policy_statement....