"In 2012 there was an increase in the number of GP visits nationally for people with influenza-like illnesses, so there was a spike in that year, which possibly led to an increase in the uptake of the vaccination in 2013 because people were more aware of the disease."
Ms Jackson said efforts in the Bay to encourage people to get immunised were a priority.
"Influenza is a really nasty disease, it is not just a cold. It is something that can lay you flat in bed for two weeks and people with underlying medical conditions can be really affected if they catch it so we are proactive in getting messages out there to encourage people to get vaccinated. It protects you, it protects your family and it protects your community. It is also about protecting those people in the community who are really vulnerable.
"We hope that message is strengthening out there and that people learn that getting vaccinated is a good health habit to get into."
Ms Jackson said a lack of understanding about the influenza vaccination was often why people were reluctant to get vaccinated.
"People don't possibly understand the serious nature of what influenza is and what it can potentially do. Even healthy people can end up in hospital very unwell with influenza. For some people, they think the vaccine might possibly give them influenza which, scientifically, it cannot do.
"It is tricky to know why people choose not to get vaccinated but there are certainly some myths out here that people hang on to rather than going with the science around the vaccination."
The manufacture and distribution of the vaccination has been delayed by a month this year while two new strains of the influenza virus are added to it.
Ministry of Health chief medical officer Don Mackie said the vaccination would increase the effectiveness.
"This year's Southern Hemisphere vaccines contain two new strains, to give better protection against the influenza strains that have been circulating around the world through the Northern Hemisphere winter," he said.
"We hope the improved Southern Hemisphere vaccines will avoid the difficulties the US, United Kingdom and Europe have had with a poor match for the H3N2 component of the vaccine."
Mr Jackson said the delay was not expected to place any extra pressure on the public health system.
"The flu season doesn't traditionally start until late June and July. Normally when the vaccine first arrives, the surgeries work really hard whether that happens to be in March or April.
"I would hope that there is no real extra pressure because there is time from when the vaccine should arrive to when the flu season starts," she said.
The organisation expected the number of people getting immunised would continue to grow, Ms Jackson said.
Nationwide there was 1,206,573 influenza vaccinations distributed in 2014 - a drop from the 1,253,578 distributed in 2013. In 2012, there was 1,002,210 vaccinations distributed.
Mr Mackie said the ministry would focus on groups more susceptible to the virus in an effort to boost immunisation numbers.
"Those groups are over 65s; people with chronic health conditions who will be at higher risk of complications; and then children with chronic illnesses. The other group we are looking at is health professionals, particular those who are working with susceptible patients," he said.
"Inevitably, the last thing you want is for a health professional to give the virus to your patients who may suffer more from it."
Mr Mackie said the challenge is to get as many people immunised before the beginning of the flu season - a challenge made harder by the late arrival of the vaccination.
The Ministry of Health expects vaccines to be with GPs in early April.
