Northland District Health Board: Yes we have no flu jabs today

Limit the spread of viruses by washing hands and surfaces, and avoiding touching the face after sneezing or coughing.

Instead of advising people to have flu shots, health authorities are now offering hygiene tips to lessen the spread of the virus.

A nationwide shortage of vaccinations means many Northland people who left their jabs a bit late this season could now miss out.

The health sector's message about flu jabs appears to have been so successful nationwide stocks are precariously close to running out only a few weeks into the flu season. A three-year record of 1.3 million doses were distributed by early June this year, equal to the entire number for the whole flu season last year.

Northland has the third highest rate of positive influenza cases in the country, which only last week prompted calls from the region's health official for people to get vaccinated.

Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) figures showed 47 per cent or 23 out of 48 patients tested by their GPs in Northland between April 21 and June 9 returned a positive result for influenza. Only Canterbury and Waitemata DHBs have higher flu rates than Northland.

The flu virus, which took hold late this season, is expected to peak in late July to August.

But right now there are as few as 20,000 vaccination doses left in New Zealand, leading the Ministry of Health to ask medics distributing the jabs to restrict them to groups eligible for publicly funded shots. Those are pregnant women, children aged 4 and under with serious respiratory illnesses, people with severe asthma, heart disease, diabetes and other serious health conditions, and those aged 65 and over.

A Northland District Health Board spokeswoman said Pharmac and vaccine manufacturer Seqirus had made 14,000 vaccines available that were originally intended for the private market — that is, paying customers who are not in the eligible, free-dose categories.

Pharmac has also increased funding for a child's version of the vaccine and sourced a small amount of another influenza vaccine brand. It will make supplies of the Fluarix brand available to pregnant women; it is usually only for children.

As with many contagious illnesses and viruses, the key hygiene tips are: Wash hands with water and soap and dry them properly, especially before eating, after visiting the toilet, and after coughing or sneezing; cover coughs and sneezes and wash hands immediately; ensure surfaces are clean at home; wipe shopping trolley handles and railing before touching them. Avoid touching your face.