Why is influenza vaccination so important?

Influenza vaccination is recommended annually for two important reasons:

• Protection from the previous vaccination lessens over time, and
• The circulating influenza viruses can change, and the strains in the vaccine change each year in response to the circulating virus pattern.

The 2026 flu vaccine is free for some people

The flu vaccine is free for people at higher risk of getting very sick, including:

• all children aged 6 months up to their fifth birthday
• people aged 65 years and over
• people aged 6 months and over who have a long term medical condition like diabetes, asthma, or a heart condition
• pregnant people
• tamariki (children) aged 4 years and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness, or have a history of significant respiratory illness
• people with mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder
• people who are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services.

The funded flu vaccine for tamariki and adults (6 months of age and over) available in Aotearoa New Zealand is called Influvac Tetra. 

More information is available on Health NZ’s website

What the flu vaccine protects you from

The flu (influenza) virus changes often. This means the vaccine has to be tweaked each year to match the new strains of the disease. Getting a flu vaccine every year means you have the best protection.

Flu symptoms come on suddenly and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, and stomach upsets. It can keep you in bed for a week or more.

Flu is usually spread by coughing and sneezing and is most common during winter.

The flu can make you very sick, even if you are usually fit and healthy. Your tamariki can get very unwell with it too. You could also spread it to vulnerable people, including older people or pregnant people.