With winter just around the corner, free flu jabs are being offered once again to a range of people in Hawke’s Bay including children under the age of 12.

Last year, the Government announced it would subsidise free flu shots to children under 12 (and over 6 months old) to help prevent serious cases of influenza.

Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay says that subsidy is on offer again this year.

Others who can get a free jab include people who are 65 and over, Māori and Pacific people 55 and over, pregnant women, and people with underlying health and mental health issues such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and major depressive disorder.

The cost of a flu vaccination is about $30 if you are not subsidised.

Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay senior responsible Covid-19 and immunisation officer Chris McKenna said it was important to protect against influenza.

“With levels of social interaction back to their normal pre-Covid levels, there is a high risk that the 2023 flu season could be one of the worst experienced in many years,” he said.

“The flu can be much worse than the common cold and those particularly vulnerable are older people, tamariki and hāpū māmā as well as people with health conditions such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes.

 “However, the good news is that the flu vaccine is free for many people in Hawke’s Bay and gives the best protection from becoming very unwell.”

To book a flu vaccination, go to BookMyVaccine.co.nz, contact your GP, pharmacy or Hauora provider, or call Healthline on 0800 28 29 26.

A list of drop-in centres can also be found at healthpoint.co.nz.

“Our mobile vans will be visiting a number of communities this week offering people free flu and Covid-19 vaccines as well as childhood immunisation against measles and whooping cough,” McKenna said.