"This includes ... increasing staffing to the medical areas to prepare for the increased admissions. Primary care will be pivotal in supporting our community."
Board member Edith Moki wanted to know what the uptake was across the region.
General manager Philip Wheble said he understood it was ahead of last year.
The DHB was expecting to have "a very big flu season" this year.
As well, the campaign had started for the childhood MMR vaccination, which was expected to be an issue.
During the Covid peak months, a lot of people who would normally get the flu vaccine had not been well enough.
Chairman Rick Barker said it was clear that the Covid pandemic had brought about a societal attitude change" in some quarters.
"I do feel that the anti-vaxxers have changed the dynamic of this now, particularly around measles. It's on the spread around the world."
Barker said the health system needed to "do something different" in the community to respond to that.
Moki said "vaccine fatigue" in the community was real.
"This is perhaps the worst time to have vaccine fatigue with the borders opening up."
She said the success in targeting the Māori/Pasifika group in the community for vaccination should be a prompt to target the broader community.
"I do know that there has been positive responses to the flu vaccine for Māori and Pasifika, but open it up."
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