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Get flu vaccine while sun still shines
Get Your Flu Vaccine While the Sun Still Shines
Even though we feel like winter will never come, putting a reminder in your diary to make your seasonal influenza vaccination appointment is the recommendation from Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Felicity Dumble.
In just six weeks the seasonal influenza vaccination, which includes protection against three strains of influenza; pandemic H1N1 and the two most common seasonal strains for 2010, will become available.
Dr Dumble recommends people start making plans to receive the important immunisation as New Zealand prepares for a predicted 'second wave' of the H1N1 pandemic.
From experience in the Northern Hemisphere, it is believed the flu season may arrive earlier than usual this year, she said.
"As always, there are certain groups of people who are more vulnerable to influenza and get the most benefit from the vaccine.
"These are the people most at risk of severe illness and complications from seasonal influenza and include the very young, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
"The pandemic strain also carries increased risk for pregnant women, morbidly obese people and those aged under 65 years with chronic medical conditions," she said.
In addition to the trivalent (triple strain) seasonal vaccine, this year, the Ministry of Health is offering an 'early bird' monovalent (single strain) vaccine against Influenza A (H1N1) to people specifically at risk from the pandemic strain.
This includes children under five years who belong to specific general practices.
It is also being offered to frontline health care workers who are in contact with these vulnerable groups.
Unlike the seasonal vaccine, the 'early bird' vaccine must be given in two doses to all age groups, the first of which needs to be administered before 19 February.
"There is limited stock of the monovalent pandemic vaccine available, so only those prioritised by the Ministry of Health are eligible to receive it," said Dr Dumble.
Restricted supply also means not all GP practices will be able to offer the early bird vaccine.
"However, it's extremely important that as many people as possible get the seasonal influenza vaccine that contains protection against pandemic H1N1 and seasonal strains when it arrives in March."
The Ministry of Health plans to start the seasonal influenza campaign on 8 March.
People who are eligible for the free early bird monovalent pandemic vaccine:
* People under 65 years of
age (including children) with certain conditions (as for
seasonal influenza)
* Pregnant women (if they are
infected by influenza, pregnant women are more likely to
develop severe illness or complications compared with women
who are not pregnant; the infection may also put the foetus
and the newborn at risk)
* People who are morbidly
obese
* All children aged from six months to their fifth
birthday enrolled in designated general practices that have
high proportions of people who are Maori, Pacific and/or
from high deprivation areas
* In addition the vaccine is
being offered to frontline healthcare workers - staff in
general practice, emergency departments, intensive care
units and those who may have direct contact with at-risk
patients. The government is covering the cost of the vaccine
for these workers but they or their employers will need to
pay any other costs associated with immunisation
* NB:
Individuals 65 years and older are not expected to be at
higher risk from pandemic H1N1 influenza as they are likely
to have some pre-existing immunity, and so are not included
in this eligibility list
The 'certain' medical conditions (as mentioned above)
* Cardiovascular disease (ischaemic
heart disease, congestive heart failure, rheumatic heart
disease, congenital heart disease and cerebrovascular
disease)
* Chronic respiratory disease (asthma if on
regular preventive therapy; other chronic respiratory
disease with impaired lung
function)
* Diabetes
* Chronic renal disease
* Any
cancer, excluding basal and squamous skin cancers if not
invasive
* Other conditions (autoimmune disease, immune
suppression, HIV, transplant recipients, neuromuscular and
central nervous system disease, haemaglobinopathies,
children on long term aspirin)
For more information on the 'early bird' monovalent pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines, or general information about influenza, visit www.moh.govt.nz/influenza or www.waikatodhb.govt.nz
People can also phone Waikato District Health Board's Public Health Unit (07) 838 2569 or Pinnacle (07) 839 2888 during office hours.
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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