NZ Funds Flu Vaccines for Children 6 Months to 5 Years Starting 2027

Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomes Pharmac’s decision to strengthen New Zealand’s vaccine response, including by funding the flu vaccine for children aged 6 months up to 5 years old for the 2027 flu season.

Winter is a challenging period for many Kiwis. Strong flu strains in recent years have made it much more difficult, Mr Seymour says.

Flu season puts a lot of pressure on households, workplaces, schools, and the health system. Today’s decision will make next winter more manageable.

From April 2027, every child aged six months until their fifth birthday will be eligible for a funded influenza vaccine. This gives parents another tool to help keep their children healthy and reduce the impact of flu on families.

This change will mean more than 260,000 children are eligible for funded flu vaccination. That's a practical investment in prevention that will help reduce illness, doctor visits, and pressure on the health system during the winter months.

This is part of a broader package of vaccine investments confirmed by Pharmac. 1.6 million New Zealanders are expected to receive the vaccines included in this decision in the first year of funding.

The influenza vaccine is currently funded for people aged 65 years and over, and for people under 65 with certain health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious illness.

From April 2027, funded influenza vaccines will move to newer vaccines that provide improved protection for older New Zealanders, eligible at-risk people under 65, and children aged six months up to their fifth birthday, Mr Seymour says.

Pharmac is changing funded brands of the influenza, meningococcal ACWY and pneumococcal vaccines from 2027. Access to funded influenza vaccination will widen to include all children aged 6 months up to their fifth birthday (6-59 months inclusive) from 1 April 2027.

Pharmac received strong support for the proposals during consultation. New Zealanders told Pharmac they supported broader access to innovative influenza vaccines and stronger protection against pneumococcal disease, Mr Seymour says.

These changes give more New Zealanders access to better protection against serious illness while ensuring public funding helps improve health outcomes for New Zealanders.

This is another example of the culture we are building at Pharmac. Pharmac funding the medicines that Kiwis need, based on the feedback of Kiwis in need.