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Vaccinate against this season's flu.

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• Funded for those who meet the Pharmacy eligibility criteria. View criteria here.

• For children and adults, 6 months of age and over.

• Advanced vaccination with a specialised immune booster.

• Greater, longer protection for adults aged 65 & over.

• Effective and well tolerated in pregnant women.

• Designed to be an exact match to circulating flu strains, cell based technology.

• For children & adults 6 months of age and over.

Influenza vaccine

Each year, the seasonal influenza vaccine is available for all New Zealanders over 6 months of age. The flu vaccine is your best protection against influenza, and it also reduces your risk of transmitting the flu to vulnerable people. The standard vaccine prevents up to two-thirds of influenza cases in healthy adults.

Because the flu virus changes often, the influenza vaccine is adjusted each year to combat the current strains, with three options available for the 2025 winter season:

• Influvac Tetra is free to those who meet certain eligibility criteria (see below). It is a quadrivalent influenza vaccine, protecting against four strains of the virus.

• Flucelvax Quad is designed to be an exact match to the circulating flu strains, and shows 5-19% greater vaccine effectiveness than the standard flu vaccine. Flucelvax Quad is effective and well tolerated in pregnant women and suitable for anyone over 6 months old.

• Fluad® Quad is designed for people aged 65 years and over. It contains the MF59® Adjuvant which enhances the immune response and has showed a 18-36% reduction in influenza related GP visits. It also provides longer protection than the standard flu vaccine, with antibody levels higher at 12 months post vaccination.

Speak to our pharmacy team to find out more on the options for the 2025 flu vaccine. Cost will vary depending on whether you are eligible for a free vaccine and which vaccine you choose. You can book flu vaccine appointments online or over the phone at participating pharmacies today. It takes up to two weeks for your immune system to fully respond to the influenza vaccine and provide you with maximum protection.

Options for treating cold and flu

If you do catch a cold or influenza A, treatment can help you feel more comfortable and recover more rapidly. Rest and fluid are essential to your recovery, and you also have the option of other cold and flu treatments. These include paracetamol, ibuprofen, throat lozenges, nasal sprays, and pseudoephedrine cold and flu tablets. Pseudoephedrine cold and flu tablets will help clear a blocked nose, but they’re not suitable for everyone.

Talk to your pharmacist about which treatments might be well suited for your cold or influenza. A treatment opinion from your pharmacist can help you choose the right combination of medications for you.

What is influenza, how the flu vaccine works, the flu vaccine cost and other information about treating colds and flu.

What is influenza? Influenza, or the flu, is a common illness in New Zealand. It is caused by a virus and spreads easily between people, usually by coughing or sneezing. Sometimes it can be quite mild, but it can make you feel quite unwell even if you are usually healthy. For vulnerable people, including children, it can be very serious.

Influenza A symptoms include some or all of the following:

• A fever
• Muscle aches and pains
• A cough
• A runny nose
• A sore throat
• No energy/fatigue
• Vomiting or diarrhoea (usually in children).

The fever and body aches typically last for up to five days, but the cough and fatigue can linger for several weeks.

Influenza B symptoms are similar, but typically milder in adults. For children, influenza B symptoms may be worse, including ear infections, vomiting and seizures.

The funded flu vaccine is free for:

1

Pregnant women.

3

Those aged 65 or over.

3

People with diabetes, cancer, asthma or a heart condition (aged 6 months and over).

4

Children aged 4 or under with significant
respiratory illness.  

5

People aged under 65 with some mental health conditions.

6

People who are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services.

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Flu Vaccination Voucher Programme  

Life Pharmacies across New Zealand offer a National Corporate Flu Vaccination Programmes which is a convenient and simple way to manage vaccinations within your business.  

Enquire today by emailing our Professional Services Team here to find out more on how we can support your business.  

Further information on our Flu Vaccination Programme 2025 can be found here.

ENQUIRE NOW

Book now at your nearest pharmacy