Watch PSNZ President Owen Sinclair speak to 1News on free flu vaccine rollback
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8th April 2024
Free flu vaccine rollback 'a really dumb decision' - paediatrician
A health professional has slammed Pharmac's decision to rollback free flu vaccines for some vulnerable groups as a "really dumb decision" coming into peak flu season.
A free flu vaccine is no longer available for those aged under 12, and for Māori and Pacific people aged between 55-64.
Paediatrician Owen Sinclair told Breakfast he was "disappointed" that access had been cut for vaccines because of funding pressures and said it's important to remember how bad flu can get.
"Every year it kills hundreds of people [and] clogs up our health system.
"We have lots of people in health centres in ICUs and large numbers of those people are Māori, so it's really disappointing and doesn't make any sense to try and control the disease and not specifically target the people who need it most.
"It's a really dumb decision," he said.
Sinclair said the flu comes every year and targeting the people who contract infectious diseases at the highest rate "makes the most sense".
Associate Health Minister David Seymour said in a statement the previous Labour Government left a "significant fiscal cliff in the Pharmac Budget" that posed a risk of medicines being delisted from Pharmac's funding.
"That leaves this Government with tough choices, but despite Labour's fiscal cliffs we're committed to ensuring Pharmac's budget remains and is sustained for future years," he said.
Sinclair said this "doesn't make sense". He said investing in preventative medicines in the form of vaccines is "by far the cheapest thing to do" if the Government is looking to save money.
"By far the cheapest thing to do with any disease is to stop it happening in the first place. And preventative medicine, the number one preventative medicine measure is immunisation, it saves you money. So, it's a poor decision economically.
"Immunisation should be your number one thing you spend your money on."
Sinclair's comments follow an announcement by Minister of Health, Dr Shane Reti encouraging people to get vaccinated against the flu as part of a campaign.
"From today, flu vaccinations are available free of charge for people who are 65 and over, pregnant, or who have mental illness or addiction, and for children and adults likely to get very sick with the flu because of a health condition," said Reti in a statement.
"Influenza and other respiratory illnesses have a massive impact on the health system over winter and we can do more to prevent this by taking action now, by getting vaccinated, preparing our homes and having a plan to help stay well through the colder months."
Sinclair said he's "confused" by this mixed messaging.
"I think there's been a lot of contradiction going on with policy about how you address things," he said. "We're worried about that moving forward, about those kind of contradictions. Some people are every pro-medicine and some people aren't."
He said people who are unsure if they are entitled to a free influenza vaccine should ring their local health practice and ask.
Pharmac statement
In a release earlier this year, Pharmac outlined the eligibility requirements for a free 2024 flu vaccine.
"The flu vaccine is free for those who are most vulnerable to becoming very sick if they get the flu," said director of pharmaceuticals Geraldine MacGibbon.
"For the 2024 flu season the vaccine is funded for all people 65 years and over, people with long-term conditions (like asthma and diabetes), those who are pregnant, and people with specific mental health conditions or addiction issues."
The agency said: "In 2022 and 2023 Pharmac widened access to the flu vaccine with funding made available as part of the government's response to Covid-19 and its impacts... This funding has now ended so these groups are no longer eligible in 2024.
"We know it is difficult to hear that while you or your whānau were able to access the flu vaccine in the past for free, you don't have that funded access now.