Free flu vaccines

MidCentral DHB has made flu vaccines available for free at its walk-in clinics for those who are at greater risk of illness from flu. It applies to people aged 65 years and over, Ma¯ ori and Pasifika aged 55 years and over, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions, such as chronic heart disease, chronic liver disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma and COPD. Chief medical officer Dr Kelvin Billinghurst said: “It is perfectly safe to get the Pfizer (16+) or AstraZeneca (18+) Covid-19 booster and the free flu vaccine at the same time. There is no time gap needed between getting your Covid-19 booster and getting the flu vaccine.” Those who do not qualify for the funded vaccine can pay to be vaccinated through general practitioners, pharmacists and other private immunisation providers. Some people might be able to get a free vaccination through their employer’s occupational health programme.