Flu Vaccine 2024
Flu vaccines are now available to everyone over 6 months of age. If you are eligible for a FREE flu vaccine (see criteria below), this is funded from 2 April, 2024 onwards until December 2024. If you are in this category, please make an appointment for next week onwards. The Flu Vaccine we have available this year is Influvac Tetra.
The flu vaccine costs $35 unless you are eligible for a free one.
Appointments can be made either by:
1: MyIndici patient portal (under Nurse -> Flu vaccine CLINIC). The flu vaccine clinics will run during normal opening hours in the first 2 weeks of April. (After this, appointments can be made via phone call to reception).
2: Phone – 03 348 8989
Only come in for a flu vaccine if you are well i.e. you must have no Covid or Flu-like symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever and diarrhoea.
If you have already had your flu vaccine this year, please let us know so we can update our records.
For more information on Flu Vaccines
click on the link https://www.immune.org.nz/immunisation/programmes/influenza
Pharmac eligibility criteria for 2024 funded influenza vaccination
Funded influenza vaccine is available each year for people who meet the following criteria set by Pharmac:*
1. All people 65 years of age and over; or
2. People under 65 years of age who:
- have any of the following cardiovascular diseases:
-
- ischaemic heart disease, or
- congestive heart failure, or
- rheumatic heart disease, or
- congenital heart disease, or
- cerebrovascular disease; or
- have either of the following chronic respiratory diseases:
- asthma, if on a regular preventative therapy, or
- other chronic respiratory disease with impaired lung function, or
- have diabetes; or
- have chronic renal disease; or
- have any cancer, excluding basal and squamous skin cancers if not invasive; or
- have any of the following other conditions:
- autoimmune disease, or
- immune suppression or immune deficiency, or
- HIV, or
- transplant recipient, or
- neuromuscular and CNS diseases/disorder, or
- haemoglobinopathiese, or
- children on long-term aspirin, or
- a cochlear implant, or
- errors of metabolism at risk of major metabolic decompensation, or
- pre and post splenectomy, or
- Down syndrome, or
- are pregnant (any trimester); or
3. Children 4 years of age and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness (for eligible tamariki who require two doses of the
vaccine, both doses are funded); or
4. People under 65 years of age who:
- have any of the following serious mental health conditions:
- schizophrenia, or
- major depressive disorder, or
- bipolar disorder, or
- schizoaffective disorder, or
- are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services.
Unless meeting the criteria set out above, the following conditions are excluded from funding:
- asthma not requiring regular preventative therapy
- hypertension and/or dyslipidaemia without evidence of end-organ disease.
Alternative Flu Vaccines
There are 4 other unfunded Flu Vaccines this year which we DO NOT have available at Doctors on Riccarton.
FLUAD QUAD is approved for use in adults aged 65 years and over. FLUAD QUAD contains a substance to stimulate a stronger immune response in older people. We do not have this available at our Practice but they are available at Fendalton Mall Pharmacy.
