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Published Thursday 28 Apr 2016

Find out why it's important to get immunised and read some FAQs about flu!

Find out why it's important to get immunised and read some FAQs about flu!

Being immunised will protect yourself, your family and our communities against the current circulating strains of influenza. Flu is a serious illness and is not the same as a cold.

See your medical centre for a vaccination for you and your family. It may be free if you have a long term (chronic) health condition.

Frequently asked questions about immunisation

Why influenza immunisation is needed every year:

Annual immunisation is required for two important reasons. Protection lessens over time and influenza can be caused by different strains of influenza viruses that are not always included in the previous year's vaccine.

The influenza vaccine for the New Zealand/Australian 2016 influenza season contains the following three virus strains:

A/California /7/2009(H1N1) - like virus A/Hong Kong /4801/2014 (H3N2) - like virus B/Brisbane /60/2008 - like virus

This year the influenza vaccine includes two new strains:

A/Hong Kong /4801/2014(H3N2) - like virus B/Brisbane /60/2008 - like virus

How long after vaccination does it take for antibodies to be produced?

It takes up to two weeks for the vaccine to give full protection. Some studies have observed protective levels of antibodies developing as early as 4-6 days.

Can you get influenza from the vaccine?

No. Influenza immunisation contains no live viruses therefore it cannot cause influenza.

How effective is the vaccine for healthy adults?

In recent reviews vaccine effectiveness against influenza ranges from 59% - 73% in healthy adults (under 65 years of age) when circulating and vaccine strains are well matched.

How effective is immunisation against influenza strains not included in the vaccine?

Effectiveness is reduced by the degree of difference between the circulating virus and vaccine strains. The influenza virus keeps changing and new vaccines are formulated for each northern and southern hemisphere season. There may be some cross protection against an influenza virus not in the vaccine.

How long does immunisation last?

Protection should last throughout the influenza season and re-immunisation within 12 months is not usually necessary, unless travelling to the northern hemisphere during its peak influenza season. Immunisation is ideally provided in autumn, one or two months before the influenza season starts, to ensure that peak protection occurs during the season itself.

Is influenza immunisation recommended for pregnant women?

Yes. It is recommended that the influenza vaccination is offered to all women who will be pregnant when influenza is circulating. New Zealand is not alone in this recommendation. Influenza vaccination for all pregnant women is currently recommended by health authorities in the USA, Australia and many European countries.

The influenza vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in pregnant women in all trimesters, no unusual patterns in pregnancy or foetal outcomes have been observed in vaccine adverse events reports.