17 July 2007

Waikato Influenza Vaccine Uptake Down

The number of people getting influenza vaccine doses in Waikato throughout the 2007 season was 3690 down on the previous year.

The Government-subsidised influenza vaccine campaign ended on June 30. In Waikato 53,020 people received the vaccine compared with 56,710 last year.

Waikato District Health Board medical officer of health Felicity Dumble said the influenza season started later this year which was probably the reason for the decline.

"The good news is that the strains we are starting to see circulating in the community are covered by this year's vaccine. The vaccine is still obtainable," said Dr Dumble.

Influenza and respiratory viruses have continued to circulate at low levels in the Waikato over the past couple of weeks, she said. There's even less about in other parts of New Zealand and Australia is quiet too, apart from Perth where there have been three reported deaths due to Influenza A H3.

The influenza virus changes each year so it's important that people are immunised annually to gain protection from the strains most likely to circulate, she said.

ENDS