Flu vaccinations 2021

May 12, 2021

The 2021 Influenza Immunisation Programme

The 2021 Influenza Immunisation Programme started on 14 April 2021, for people aged 65 and over. We are delighted that so many from this group have been vaccinated already.

The programme for people aged under 65 will start on 17 May, and we are initially focusing on those eligible for a funded vaccination. See the comprehensive list below of the funded conditions.

Please make an appointment with the practice nurse for your flu vaccine, either at Medplus Lake Road in Hauraki or at Anne Street in Devonport.

We highly recommend the flu vaccination. Not only does flu remain a horrible illness that can hospitalise, but during the current pandemic, you will not be able to work or carry on as normal with any respiratory tract infection, including flu.

The recommendation is that the influenza vaccination should be at least 2 weeks apart from any COVID-19 vaccination. If you have not been given an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccination, then start with the influenza vaccine first.

Funded influenza vaccine is available each year for people who meet the following criteria set by PHARMAC

1. People 65 years of age or older; or

2. People under 65 years of age who:

have any of the following cardiovascular diseases:

ischaemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, cerebrovascular disease;

have either of the following chronic respiratory diseases:

asthma, if on a regular preventative therapy, other chronic respiratory diseases with impaired lung function;

have diabetes;
have chronic renal disease;
have any cancer, excluding basal and squamous skin cancers if not invasive;
have any of the following other conditions:

autoimmune disease, immune suppression or immune deficiency, HIV, transplant recipient, neuromuscular or CNS disease/disorder, haemoglobinopathy, children on long-term aspirin, a cochlear implant, an error of metabolism at risk of major metabolic decompensation, pre-or post-splenectomy, Down syndrome,

pregnant women (any trimester);

3. Children aged 4 years or under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness.

The four funded quadrivalent influenza vaccines for 2021

Fluad Quad

Only approved for use in adults aged 65 years or older.
Funded for eligible adults aged 65 years or older.

Afluria Quad

Funded for eligible children and adults aged 5–64 years or older.

Influvac Tetra

Funded for eligible children aged 3–4 years.
Only for use in children aged 3–4 years.

Afluria Quad Junior

Funded for eligible children aged under 3 years, i.e. 6–35 months.

Vaccine safety

For all vaccines, similar to most medications, an extremely rare allergic reaction called 'anaphylaxis' can occur. Anaphylaxis after immunisation occurs about 1–3 times in every one million vaccine doses. All vaccinators will have training and equipment to deal with this situation in the unlikely event of it occurring. No other serious responses to the vaccine have been identified.

Influenza vaccine should not be given to:

Anyone with severe allergy (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of this vaccine or a component of the vaccine (except egg anaphylaxis).

Influenza immunisation should be postponed for:

Individuals suffering from fever over 38°

Vaccine effectiveness

Influenza immunisation protects around 7–8 pregnant women out of 10 from a serious influenza-related illness requiring hospital treatment. Around half of the infants whose mother had an influenza immunisation during pregnancy are also protected from influenza for up to 6 months after birth.
Very little information on how effective the influenza vaccine in infants under 2 years of age has been collected. The information collected suggests about 6–7 in 10 infants in this age group will be protected from influenza.
Influenza immunisation will protect around 6–7 in 10 healthy children under 3 years of age, around 6–7 in 10 healthy children under 16 years of age, and 4–6 in 10 healthy adults from influenza. The influenza vaccine only has a modest reduction in the time healthy adults take off work due to influenza.
The influenza vaccines have a modest effect, around up to 60%, in preventing confirmed influenza in those aged 65 years and over living in the community, and can reduce the number of older people needing to be hospitalised with influenza-related pneumonia and complications. Influenza vaccine has also been shown to reduce the risk of influenza-related pneumonia in older people living in long term care facilities who develop complications related to influenza.

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