Still time to get free flu vaccination

About a quarter of MidCentral District Health Board’s population has received the influenza vaccination this winter, but there is still time to receive it.

As at 1 August a total of 41,970 doses of the vaccine had been given in the region, out of an estimated population of 169,800 people as counted in the 2013 Census. That is 25 percent of the total population, and just behind last year’s figures at the same time of 43,299 or 26 percent of the district’s population, figures provided by the National Influenza Specialist Group show.

Nationally 1,201,813 people have received the vaccine this year, compared to the record level set last year of 1,253,578 people.

The seasonal influenza vaccination programme is free for people aged 65 years and over, pregnant women, people with long term health conditions such as severe asthma, and children under five years who have been hospitalised for a respiratory illness.

The programme was due to finish at the end of July but the Government has extended it until the end of August.

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