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Age Concern advise those aged 65 and over are being offered a potentially less effective vaccine than they were last year.
Under a four-year supply agreement for the 2020 to 2023 influenza seasons, independent drug-buying agency Pharmac is funding the flu vaccine Afluria Quad – making it free … View moreAge Concern advise those aged 65 and over are being offered a potentially less effective vaccine than they were last year.
Under a four-year supply agreement for the 2020 to 2023 influenza seasons, independent drug-buying agency Pharmac is funding the flu vaccine Afluria Quad – making it free for the eligible groups. But last year, supply delays of Afluria Quad meant that for over-65s, Pharmac temporarily funded an alternative. Called Fluad Quad, it’s the only available flu vaccine that works with an immune enhancer or adjuvant – an ingredient that improves the immune response to the vaccine in people aged 65 and over. But Pharmac hasn’t yet agreed to fund it permanently, meaning those who want Fluad Quad this year must pay for it.
Last week an Auckland woman, ahead of her vaccine, which was advertised as free, she was asked “did I want the free one, or the one specially made for older people who may need help making the antibodies?” That vaccine, Fluad Quad, would cost $35. “I was told that it was the one given free last year,” she said.
She paid the $35 for Fluad Quad and said her concern is not that she personally had to pay for the vaccine but that she’s worried “that this seems like a two-tier system: one for those with money to choose, and one for those without”. She’s also concerned that others may not be informed of the choice or variation between the vaccines.
Pharmac’s chief medical officer Dr David Hughes said in an emailed statement that in 2020, Fluad Quad was placed on the “cost-neutral list”, which, according to the Pharmac website, means “it may get funded if we can negotiate a deal that saves money, or at least doesn’t cost more than something already funded”.
In 2021, “the supplier marketed it as a more effective vaccine”, said Hughes, “but it has only been recently that they have supplied more evidence to Pharmac to support their application for Fluad Quad being more effective than Afluria Quad in people over 65 years of age”. The Immunisation Advisory Committee that advises Pharmac will be considering the more up-to-date evidence and providing advice on it at their meeting next month, he said.
The data to date on the Fluad vaccine suggests it does to some extent give the best immune response for elderly, explained professor Nikki Turner, the director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at the University of Auckland. Because the traditional flu vaccine is less effective in older adults than in younger people, the Fluad vaccine has an enzyme specifically designed to make it more effective for elderly. But, “it’s tricky”, said Turner. “We can’t simply say this vaccine is better than this vaccine.” Turner would like to see Pharmac continue reviewing the data to “better quantify the gains for the cost”.
The data to date on the Fluad vaccine does show it ‘to some extent’ gives the best immune response for elderly (Photo: Getty Images)
Associate professor Helen Petousis-Harris, a vaccinologist at the University of Auckland, agreed, saying the decision to not fund the potentially more effective vaccine was a symptom of budget constraints within the drug-buying mechanisms. “I like the idea that you have the best vaccine available, but it’s difficult when you have a constrained budget,” she said.
Studies that compare the enhanced Fluad vaccine with the regular vaccine “consistently show that it provides extra protections”, she said. But Petousis-Harris wanted to reassure over-65s that the difference between the vaccines is only slight. “What’s most important,” she said, “is that the vaccine is a match with the flu that’s circulating”. Both the Fluad and Afluria vaccines protect against the four strains of the virus identified by the World Health Organisation as circulating this year.
“It’s important people know they have other options,” Petousis-Harris added. However, even if they were notified of the difference, “it’s inequitable because people can’t afford it”, she noted.
At the same time as this "SpinOff" item I got a Greypower email with a two page Min Health leaflet stressing importance of flu vaccines this year but not a word about two vaccines. A two tier system indeed We need a welfare system that works better.
Anzac Day commemorates all New Zealanders killed in war and honours our returned service personnel.
National commemorations to mark Anzac Day will take place on Monday 25 April in Wellington.
If attending:
- Please follow all relevant COVID-19 guidelines.
- Face masks are … View moreAnzac Day commemorates all New Zealanders killed in war and honours our returned service personnel.
National commemorations to mark Anzac Day will take place on Monday 25 April in Wellington.
If attending:
- Please follow all relevant COVID-19 guidelines.
- Face masks are recommended.
- If unwell, please stay home.
Both the Dawn Service and National Commemoration Service will be broadcast live by TVNZ1 and RNZ National.
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry made of short, unrhymed lines that evoke natural imagery. Haiku can come in a variety of different formats of short verses, though the most common is a three-line poem with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Have a go and share your Haiku in the comments below!
Putting a tasty and nutritious meal in front of our families each night is important for many of us, but with work, school, and activities in the way, it can also become a stressful chore.
Dinner Sorted delivers a week's worth of delicious, satisfying recipes that should please the whole … View morePutting a tasty and nutritious meal in front of our families each night is important for many of us, but with work, school, and activities in the way, it can also become a stressful chore.
Dinner Sorted delivers a week's worth of delicious, satisfying recipes that should please the whole family, sent to your inbox on Saturday mornings. As a bonus you'll also get our Weekend Baking collection, perfect for filling the baking tins, lunchboxes, or just that 4pm gap.
Sign up here it's free!
A lovely picture of a tarāpuka by Louise Thomas.
"Our beautiful endemic and endangered black-billed gull/tarāpuka (Chroicocephalus bulleri). Sometimes I've found them a little confusing to identify as in non-breeding plumage, black-billed gulls can have a two-coloured brownish and black… View moreA lovely picture of a tarāpuka by Louise Thomas.
"Our beautiful endemic and endangered black-billed gull/tarāpuka (Chroicocephalus bulleri). Sometimes I've found them a little confusing to identify as in non-breeding plumage, black-billed gulls can have a two-coloured brownish and black bill and red legs, but they always have a longer, finer bill than a red-billed gull - that said there is also a little variation in the bill sizes. The two species sometimes hang out together as well to make it more confusing. Bird #57 in 2022."
This week a picture from Rosa Marie.
"Here are a few 'birdie' shots while I was on the 10 minute boat ride at Zealandia on Friday! I had never been on the boat, so it was such a joy to see the shags from another angle."
Hi free turf from a lawn that we are converting to a garden. Message me on 021995333 if want to come and collect it/some.
Making the move to a Ryman retirement village while you’re independent allows you to enjoy everything that’s on offer.
With assisted living, resthome, hospital and dementia care also onsite, if your partner needs care before you, knowing the village care centre is only a short stroll away … View moreMaking the move to a Ryman retirement village while you’re independent allows you to enjoy everything that’s on offer.
With assisted living, resthome, hospital and dementia care also onsite, if your partner needs care before you, knowing the village care centre is only a short stroll away will help ease this transition.
Care options vary between villages.
Choose pretty patterned paper to make découpage eggs, then wrap them in bunny ear napkins to create a gorgeous table setting. Get creative with your Resene paint colours.
Find out how to create your own.
Headlights on when it's dark or visibility is poor! In this video you’ll (just) spot a couple of white vehicles in grey, miserable, rainy weather—with no lights on you can barely see them even just a few metres away.
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Our House of the Week this week is a three bedroom home in Eastbourne that is only a (very) short walk to the beach. For sale through Debbie Turner from Harcourts.
Looking for an agent to market your home?
Check Hutt Homed to find agents who are actively marketing in your area and chat to them … View moreOur House of the Week this week is a three bedroom home in Eastbourne that is only a (very) short walk to the beach. For sale through Debbie Turner from Harcourts.
Looking for an agent to market your home?
Check Hutt Homed to find agents who are actively marketing in your area and chat to them about getting your property featured in Hutt Homed.
Distribution & Delivery:
Hutt Homed gets inserted into The Hutt News every Thursday, and is delivered to 42,423 homes in the Hutt area.
For more information:
Please ask your agent to contact Cameron Beattie on 021 973 105 or cameron.beattie@stuff.co.nz OR Niko Perez on 021 501 913 or niko.perez@stuff.co.nz
Not receiving your weekly delivery?
Please phone 0800 339000 or e mail distribution@stuff.co.nz
Looking for a reliable tidy legal car,just to get around, winter coming and all..
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