Influenza immunisation programme

All influenza vaccinations commence on 1 April 2026. 

Māori and Pacific peoples have a high incidence of pre-existing health conditions that place them at heightened risk of hospitalisation and death from influenza. Ensure your immunisation recall processes recognise Māori and Pasifika whānau as a priority population.

2026 Pharmac eligibility for funded influenza vaccination

2026 eligibility criteria have not changed from 2025. Read more on the Pharmac website.

• Pregnant people (any trimester), or
• people aged 65 years and over, or
• people aged 6 months to under 65 years with eligible conditions*
• children 4 years of age and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness; or
• people 6 months to under 65 years of age who have serious mental health and addiction conditions*.

*View the Pharmac eligibility criteria for 2026 funded influenza vaccination for more detail.

Director-General approval of the Influenza Programme is no longer required following the Influenza vaccine classification (item 1090) updated in Schedule 1 of the Medicine Regulations 1984 in 2022.

2026 influenza vaccines  

‍There are four influenza vaccines for 2026.

Brands: Influvac Tetra (Viatris), Fluad (Seqirus), Fluzone (Sanofi), Flucelvax (Sequirus).

Funded

• Influvac Tetra (Viatris): Funded for those who meet Pharmac eligibility criteria. Can also be purchased by those not meeting funding criteria. Approved for use in children over 6 months of age, and adults. 

Not funded

• Fluad (Seqirus): Unfunded only, approved for use in adults age 50 years and older.
• Fluzone (Sanofi): Unfunded only, approved for use in children over 6 months of age, and adults.
• Flucelvax (Sequirus): Unfunded only, approved for use in children over 6 months of age, and adults.

All vaccines available on the national immunisation schedule can be offered at the same time as an influenza vaccination. An additional vaccination co-administration payment will be applied from (and including) 1 April 2026 to 30 December 2026 for the following vaccine events. Please see the IMAC influenza webpage for more clinical information on spacing with other vaccines.

Claiming for more than 1 vaccine in a visit (Te Whatu Ora).

• A funded influenza vaccine administered to a pregnant person also receiving a Boostrix Tdap vaccine – correct indication code must be entered into your PMS for the pregnant person in order to trigger payment. Influenza-Boostrix vaccine co-administration payments continue to be paid automatically.
• A vaccine coadministration fee is also payable if a funded influenza and a shingles vaccine are administered at the same time (as per the national general practice and community pharmacy agreements).
• The COVID-19 vaccination administration remains a stand-alone payment. If another scheduled vaccine is administered at the same event as a COVID-19 vaccine, two administration fees will be paid. 

If you are a non-Te Whatu Ora district employer of health and disability staff who have direct patient contact, and are not eligible for a funded influenza vaccine, you are entitled to claim back up to $35 (plus GST) per person. See reimbursement details on Te Whatu Ora's website. Incomplete claims after 30 September will not be considered for reimbursement. 

A standing order template (standing orders resource page linked below) is available for administration of the flu vaccine by a registered nurse who is not an authorised independent vaccinator.

Now is a good time to review your Standing Order and ensure all users are up to date in their training and knowledge of use. For more information on Standing Orders please refer to our Pinnacle Standing Orders resource page.

Visit the IMAC influenza website for all information relating to the 2026 influenza vaccination programme.

For queries contact the Pinnacle Waikato Immunisation Coordinators, details below, or email NPHS Immunisation Programme immunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz.