Pharmac and Health NZ weigh up future of Covid vaccines and treatments

Pharmac and Health NZ are considering the future funding and availability options for Covid-19 vaccinations and treatments in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf

Pharmac and Health NZ are weighing up the future direction of Covid-19 vaccinations and treatments in New Zealand. No change is imminent with Pharmac promising the public will be consulted before any change is made.

Between them, the two agencies can trim near universal access to vaccines. Covid vaccines and treatments are currently funded through their own budgetary funding line, which goes to Pharmac.

That funding line is due to end at the end of the current fiscal year on June 30, although Covid-19 vaccines and treatments will continue to be funded as a result of the Government giving Pharmac $1.774b over the next four years to continue purchasing medicines.. The former government rolled Covid-19 responsibilities into Pharmac, which must now weigh up spending on Covid medicines with using money on treatments for other illnesses.

Pharmac’s director, pharmaceuticals, Geraldine MacGibbon told the Herald that it “continues to review the eligibility criteria for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, as it does for all other medicines and vaccines it funds”.

“We have not proposed changes to the eligibility criteria for vaccines and treatments at this time,” MacGibbon said, adding Pharmac would publicly consult on any changes that would affect people’s access.

A spokesperson for Associate Health Minister David Seymour said Covid funding was built into the $1.774 billion funding package announced this week for Pharmac. This was to continue its current level of medicine buying by the agency as it moves to multi-year funding.

The spokesperson said “under the previous government, the Covid funding was rolled into the CPB [Pharmac’s combined pharmaceutical budget], so that is built into the funding package. Individual decisions over particular medicines, including for the ongoing treatment of and vaccination against Covid-19, are assessed independently by Pharmac”.

Health NZ-Te Whatu Ora is responsible for rolling out the Covid vaccination programme. A spokesperson for Health NZ said the agency was “currently considering future plans for Covid vaccines and treatment. Health NZ-Te Whatu Ora encourages eligible people to receive their Covid vaccination when they are due.”

The 2023 Budget allocated a total of $295 million for the Covid-19 vaccine programme.

This was made up of $165.2m for Pharmac to purchase vaccines and antivirals in the 2023-24 fiscal year (well down on the $886.9m spent the previous year) and $129.9m to deliver the vaccine to people. The funding is a multi-year appropriation, allowing it to be spent over a longer time.

Thomas Coughlan is Deputy Political Editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.