12 March 2010

After discussions with the College, the Minister of Health has decided to extend influenza vaccination for preschoolers to ensure that high risk children in all practices are eligible to receive free vaccination. General practices are now responsible for using clinical judgement to offer free vaccination to children who they consider are likely to get sicker than others if they get the flu. The factors that the College recommends you use in identifying such children include: Maori or Pacific ethnicity, being from areas of deprivation (quintile 5), living in crowded housing, requiring high use of primary and secondary care for recurrent illness, having respiratory conditions, being poorly nourished, or being exposed to passive smoking in the home. It is recommended that the parents of high risk children be contacted and the offer of free vaccination made.