New Zealand Immunisation strategy

Who should be vaccinated?

Influenza continues to be a major threat to public health worldwide because of its ability to spread rapidly through populations. Influenza vaccination can be offered to individuals aged 6 months or older.

Influenza vaccination is funded for certain groups of people who are considered to be at greater risk of complications from influenza. Additional preventative strategies are important to reduce their risk of exposure to influenza. The vaccination is also recommended, although not funded, for those who are in close contact with individuals who are more vulnerable or at high risk of complications and who may also be less able to mount a strong immune response to vaccination. Frontline healthcare workers are usually funded by their employer.

Eligibility for funded influenza vaccine

All children aged under 18 years who meet the influenza vaccination eligibility criteria can receive funded influenza vaccination regardless of their immigration and citizenship status, and providers can claim the immunisation benefit for administering the vaccine.

Adults aged 18 years or older who meet the influenza vaccination eligibility criteria must also be eligible to receive publicly funded health and disability services in New Zealand to receive funded influenza vaccination. Refer to the Health and Disability Services Eligibility Direction 2011 for eligibility criteria (available at www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/eligibility-publicly-funded...).

Women aged 18 years or older who are pregnant and not eligible to receive publicly funded health and disability services in New Zealand are recommended to receive influenza vaccination but are not eligible to receive funded vaccination, even if they are receiving funded primary maternity services under the Section 88 Primary Maternity Services Notice 200721 (available at www.health.govt.nz/publication/section-88-primary-maternity-services-not...).
 

Eligibility criteria for FREE influenza vaccination for 2018:
 

     • Pregnant women (any trimester)
     • People aged 65 years or older
     • People aged under 65 years with any of the medical conditions listed on the opposite page
     • Children aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness
     • People under 18 years of age living in the:
           - Seddon/Ward and rural Eastern Marlborough region (within the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board), or
           - Kaikoura and Hurunui areas (within the Canterbury District Health Board) or
           - who have been displaced from their homes in Edgecumbe and the surrounding region
     • The following conditions are excluded from funding:
           - Asthma not requiring regular preventative therapy,
           - Hypertension and/or dyslipidaemia without evidence of end-organ disease
 

For vaccination eligibility and clinical queries contact:

The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
The University of Auckland
Phone: 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863)
Email: 0800immune@auckland.ac.nz
Also refer to the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule on the PHARMAC website (www.pharmac.govt.nz/toolsresources/pharmaceutical-schedule).

Influenza vaccination before winter offers the best protection