Flu Vaccinations

Flu Vaccination Page Image

Make an appointment

We undertaken influenza vaccination programs across the business and industrial sectors throughout the Wellington region for past 15 years.

We will arrange for our highly experienced and professional team to come to your workplace at a convenient date and time to provide vaccinations to all your staff to ensure a seamless implementation of your 2019 flu vaccination program.

For those staff unable to attend the arranged in-house vaccination program we can arrange for them to attend either our Wellington based clinic or our associate clinic in Lower Hutt at a more suitable time.

Having your staff vaccinated against the seasonal influenza will reduce staff absenteeism during the winter months as well as improve staff well-being and productivity.

Flu vaccines should be an essential part of every workplace employee health programme.

We can offer you Influenza Vaccinations at a discounted price of $32.00 (excl GST) per vaccine for vaccinating more than 20 persons.  Please note there is a minimum charge of $320 plus GST for less than 10 persons. We will provide either two Nurses or a Doctor and an assistant.

Discounts are available for large groups/organisations by negotiation.

For vaccinations to be provided at the workplace we will require a suitable private room to allow privacy and confidentiality.

We are hoping to receive the Flu Vaccines by mid March 2016 at the latest.

Please provide number of staff requiring vaccination in comments box.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Reason for Influenza Vaccinations

Flu vaccines should be an essential part of every workplace employee health programme.  The global concern about the spread of Swine   Influenza has led to prevention strategies which include the administration of seasonal Flu Vaccine.

Vaccination can offer 60-80% protection in normal healthy adults when the vaccine and epidemic strains are closely related. More important are the considerable reductions in the incidence of bronchopneumonia,  admissions to hospital and death in the elderly following vaccination.

Influenza is caused by a number of different viruses classified by  structure as Influenza A, B or C.

  • Influenza A is responsible for worldwide epidemics or pandemics of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children
  • Type B influenza causes less extensive epidemics of disease
  • Type C rarely causes epidemic disease

The influenza virus has the ability to undergo major antigenic changes called “shifts”.  These usually occur at intervals of 10 years or more and result in serious epidemics with pandemic spread.  Minor changes called “drifts” can also occur each year which result in new strains.

Influenza remains a serious and debilitating disease that is often underrated.  Additional deaths above the normal winter increase are recorded regularly in association with influenza epidemics.

What are the season strains for 2016?

Each year the World Health Organisation (WHO) puts forward it recommendations for the composition of influenza virus for us in the Southern Hemisphere influenza season. The WHO has recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2016 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

  • A (H1N1): an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) – like virus
  • A (H3N2): an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2) like virus
  • B/Brisbane/60/2008 like virus
Why influenza vaccination is needed every year?

Annual immunisation is required for two important reasons:

  1. Protection lessens over time
  2. Influenza can be caused by difference strains of influenza that are not always included in the previous year’s vaccination
Who should be vaccinated?
  • All healthy employees
  • Pregnant women can be vaccinated (The World Health Organisation recommends influenza vaccinations for pregnant women regardless of any trimester and that they are given the highest priority.)
Who should not be vaccinated?
  • If you have a history of anaphylaxis to a previous dose or any constituent of the vaccine
  • If you are acutely unwell with a fever or other systemic illness
  • If you are allergic to egg products  you should go to your general practitioner for your vaccination.
When should you be vaccinated?

Vaccinations should be given at the beginning of winter (or as soon as vaccines are available), generally March/April of each year. or if you are going overseas to a winter conditions.

Can I be vaccinated if breastfeeding?

The influenza vaccine can be giving to a breast feeding women, protecting the mother can help prevent her becoming infected and transmitting influenza to her baby. There is no evidence that breastfeeding protects against influenza

Can I get influenza from the vaccine?

No. the vaccine has been made from influenza virus that has been concentrated, inactivated, then broken apart. Immunisation cannot cause influenza as the vaccine does not contain any live viruses.

How long after vaccination does it take for antibodies to be produced?

It takes up to 2 weeks for the vaccine to start providing the protection. Some studies have observed protective levels of antibodies developing as early as 4-6 days.

How effective is the vaccination against influenza strains not included in the vaccine?

Effectiveness can be reduced by the difference between circulating virus strains and vaccine strains. The influenza virus keeps changing and new vaccines are formulated for each northern and southern hemisphere season. There may be some cross protection against an influenza virus not in the vaccine.

What reactions could I have to the vaccine?

Common reactions associated with inactive influenza vaccines include pain and redness at the injection site; these are likely to occur in around 1 in 3 of adults’ vaccinees and are almost always mild.

Aches and pains can occur in about 1 in 10 adults and general mild and of short duration and not necessarily caused by the vaccine.

Less common events such as fever, feeling unwell or tired or muscle aches may appear influenza like; however the influenza vaccine used in NZ does not contain live viruses and cannot cause the disease (if you are concerned about any significant side effects please contact us immediately)