Flu vaccination urged as winter approaches
New Zealanders’ reprieve from widespread flu infections is about to come to an end.
MidCentral District Health Board chief medical officer Kelvin Billinghurst is urging everyone eligible for a free flu shot to get one promptly.
It was also safe, and advisable, to get any overdue Covid-19 vaccinations or a booster at the same time, he said.
The Ministry of Health reported that influenza had been almost non-existent in New Zealand since the first Covid-19 lockdown two years ago.
It was not a notifiable disease, so not all cases were reported.
There were 500 cases across New Zealand for the three months from January to March 2020, then the hard lockdown happened.
There were only eight cases from May to December 2020, 14 in all of last year, mostly in people returning from overseas, and another seven so far this year, all in Auckland.
But with the borders reopening, Billinghurst expected New Zealanders would be exposed to influenza circulating in the community, and that could be a serious worry for people who were vulnerable.
He said the upcoming flu season could be ‘‘particularly difficult’’.
Billinghurst said the flu infections could coincide with a resurgence of Omicron or another Covid-19 variant.
‘‘We’re coming off the peak of the Omicron outbreak in the MidCentral region, but it is not over yet.
‘‘We still have widespread community transmission and there is no telling when we will have another surge in cases, or when a new strain will make its way into the country.’’
Billinghurst said despite the focus on Covid-19, influenza was also a serious illness. ‘‘Some people can get very sick when they catch the flu. In most years, influenza hospitalises thousands of people, and some people die.’’
The influenza vaccination season was already well under way.
Since the beginning of the year, the ministry reported at least 16,669 flu vaccinations had been delivered in MidCentral to people over the age of 65, which was about 45.7% of the estimated population.
It did not include some privately-administered vaccinations and those who opted out of having their information recorded.
Those eligible for free flu vaccinations included those aged over 65 years, Māori and Pasifika aged 55 years and over, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma and respiratory conditions.
People could check with their usual healthcare provider if they were unsure whether they were eligible for a free vaccination.
Those who were not eligible could pay for it, and others could get it subsidised through their employer.
The advice to get both Covid-19 and influenza vaccinations at the same time had changed since two years ago, when people were told to wait in between.
Billinghurst said it was ‘‘perfectly safe’’ to get them together.
Anyone could attend a walk-in clinic or book their Covid-19 vaccination at BookMyVaccine.nz or calling the Covid-19 vaccination healthline on 0800 28 29 26.
The re-opening of borders was also likely to see an increase in the spread of measles, mumps and rubella, prompting advice for people to ensure they and their children were immunised against them.