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Eligibility Criteria
The 2022 Influenza Immunisation Programme start dates:
- The 2022 Influenza Immunisation Programme commenced on 1 April 2022.
- The Influenza Immunisation Programme runs to 31 December 2022. All groups can be immunised through to December.
- The Ministry asks vaccinators to focus on immunising people eligible for a funded vaccine.
Occupational health and health and disability workforces
As in previous years it is important healthcare and other frontline workers get immunised against influenza.
The Ministry’s goal is to Vaccinate at least 80 percent of health and disability workers against influenza annually.
Funding for immunising health and disability care workers
Reimbursement is available for health and disability sector employees, self-employed lead maternity carers, and carers employed under individualised funding arrangements who:
- have patient/client contact
- are not eligible for a publicly-funded influenza immunisation (criteria available on the Pharmac website) or, are vaccinated by a provider who cannot claim for a publicly-funded influenza immunisation (eg, an occupational health provider).
- Information on how to claim is available here health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/influenza#reimbursement
Providers can email queries about the Influenza Immunisation Programme to the Ministry of Health at influenzaimmunisation@health.govt.nz.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA for FREE seasonal influenza vaccination in 2022:
- Pregnant women (any trimester)
- People aged 65 years older
- Māori and Pacific peoples aged 55 to 64 years
- People aged under 65 years with any of the medical conditions listed in this pdf
- People under 65 years of age who have schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder; OR are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services
- Children aged 3 to 12 years inclusive
- Children aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness
Also refer to the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule on the PHARMAC website https://schedule.pharmac.govt.nz/ScheduleOnline.php
Eligibility and clinical queries
The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
The University of Auckland
Phone: 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863)
Email: 0800immune@auckland.ac.nz
Manual claiming and payment queries
Sector Operations Contact Centre
Phone: 0800 855 066 – option 2
Website: www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/claims-provider-payments-and-entitlements/immunisation-subsidy
