Flu vaccine & Diabetes
The flu vaccination is available for everyone from 1 April 2022.
It’s important to get immunised against flu as it could make you very sick.
Just like the COVID-19 vaccine, the flu vaccine will not completely stop you getting flu but it reduces your chances of getting flu and should stop you getting really sick and avoid hospitalisation.
Get immunised to stop the spread of influenza around your community. Even if you don’t feel sick, you could still be infected with influenza and pass it on to others.
If you are sick, staying away from others, regular handwashing or use of hand sanitisers and covering your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing also help reduce the spread of influenza.
Even if you have had the COVID-19 vaccine, you still need to take the flu vaccine, and vice versa. Having one doesn’t protect you against the other disease, you need both vaccines.
It’s free for people at higher risk. This includes Māori and Pacific people aged 55 and over, pregnant people, people aged 65 and over, people under 65 with certain medical conditions, and children aged 4 and under with serious respiratory illness).
People with medical conditions
Flu immunisation may be free for some people under 65 with an ongoing medical condition:
cardiovascular diseases:
ischaemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, cerebrovascular disease;
chronic respiratory diseases:
asthma, if on a regular preventative therapy, or other chronic respiratory disease with impaired lung function;
diabetes;
chronic renal disease;
cancer, excluding basal and squamous skin cancers if not invasive;
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, error of metabolism at risk of major metabolic decompensation, pre- or post-splenectomy, Downs syndrome.
When should I get a Flu Vaccine?
Ideally, you should get a flu vaccine before winter, because winter is the time when the most flu is in our communities. It takes around 2 weeks after your flu vaccination to be best protected. Even if you haven’t had the flu vaccine before winter, you can still get it in the following months.
For the best protection, you’ll need to get the flu vaccine every year because protection against flu reduces over time and each year flu can be caused by different strains of flu viruses that are not covered by the previous year’s vaccine.
Should I get the flu vaccine or COVID-19 vaccine first?
You need to wait 2 weeks between the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and influenza (flu) vaccine.
If you have a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, you should get both doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine first. You can get your flu vaccine from 2 weeks after your second dose.
If you do not have a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, get your flu vaccination first. You can get your COVID-19 vaccination from 2 weeks after this.
We recommend you discuss any concerns with your GP or other medical professional.
How well does the vaccine work?
Just like the COVID-19 vaccine, the flu vaccine will not completely stop you getting flu but it reduces your chances of getting flu and should stop you getting really sick and avoid hospitalisation.
It takes up to 2 weeks after immunisation for the body to start protecting against flu.
The flu vaccine is different to the COVID-19 vaccine. Each protects you against one disease but not both, so you’ll need to have both vaccines to be protected against COVID-19 and flu.
When the flu strains in the vaccine are a good match to the flu strains circulating in the community:
Around half to two-thirds of healthy vaccinated adults aged under 65 years of age will be protected against flu infection (getting the flu)
Almost two-thirds of vaccinated adults who get flu will be protected from needing hospital care
Up to two-thirds of children who receive the vaccine will be protected from getting sick with flu
About half to two-thirds of the immunised children aged 6 months – 17 years will be protected from needing hospital care for flu.
The vaccine will stimulate your body’s immune system to produce antibodies and other proteins that will fight the flu virus if you are exposed to it. This reduces the risk of getting infected, and if you do get flu, you might have few or no symptoms, and recover faster.
Where can I get more information about flu vaccines?
You can get more information about flu and the vaccine on the Ministry of Health’s websites:
https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/influenza
You can also call Healthline for advice on 0800 611 116 anytime www.healthline.govt.nz
Information for health professionals can be found in this document: https://www.influenza.org.nz/sites/default/files/IMAC_Flu_Kit_2022_30-03-2022_0.pdf.