GPs and pharmacists administering vaccines are expecting a surge in bookings for children to get the free flu vaccine and say it will put pressure on their struggling workforce.
Photo: AFP
From Friday, children aged three to twelve-years-old will be able to get immunised against the flu for free, after health officials were told of an increase in pre-schoolers being hospitalised with the illness this winter.
And from tomorrow a second Covid-19 booster will be available, six months after the first one, to anyone aged over 50 as well as health, aged-care and disability-care workers over the age of 30.
Winter illness from the flu is putting extreme pressure on the country's health system, leading some hospitals to offer free GP consults to divert patients from turning up at emergency departments.
Those on the frontline delivering the vaccine say expanding access is welcome but it comes with an added workload.
Pakuranga Unichem pharmacist Vicky Chan said they've already had parents bringing their children in for the flu vaccine.
Knowing it's free from Friday, she expected bookings to flow in.
"With the peak of winter and all the logistic issues a bit more notice would be great but we will just have to try to estimate the demand because I can imagine once the news is out that we will definitely see quite a significant surge."
She said extending the free flu vaccine and second Covid-19 booster is a good move but will put pressure on teams delivering the doses.
"Our workforce has a very big problem with staff at the moment but I think pharmacies are very good with just stepping up. It definitely will put pressure onto the pharmacies because we're doing many things at the same time."
GPs are already struggling with a surge in winter illnesses affecting patients and their own health workforce.
On the North Shore, Northcare Accident and Medical is seeing more people with winter illness.
Its medical director Dr Peter Boot said extending the free flu vaccine and second Covid-19 booster was a good move and he also expected a surge in bookings.
"They may make a small amount of work in the short term but they hopefully will prevent a lot of more serious illness."
The clinic has a Covid-19 vaccination centre and is well set up to cope with extra bookings, he said.
"We're probably better set up for vaccinating than we have been in previous years because we've been doing huge amounts of Covid vaccination and so our whole vaccination set ups are very well oiled and it's not difficult to push the flu vaccines through the same pathways."
ProCare has 167 practices across the country and its clinical director Dr Allan Moffitt said many areas were experiencing higher rates of hospitalisation for flu than for Covid-19.
He encouraged people to get immunised and protect themselves against serious illness while the health workforce was at capacity.
"As we slowly return to normal, it's important that we don't get complacent around how serious or debilitating these illnesses can be. With thousands of cases of influenza and Covid currently circulating in the community, it's imperative that people take the time to protect themselves against hospitalisation," Moffitt said.
Chan asked for extra understanding from people keen to get a free flu vaccination or second Covid-19 booster.
"That will definitely see a very significant increase in workload for our pharmacy so please be a little more patient with us."
Dr Bryan Betty Photo: RNZ / Karen Brown
The government is unlikely to introduce stricter Covid-19 measures, such as compulsory face masks in schools or a change in the Covid-19 setting, as pressure on the health system continues.
Cases of overworked and under-resourced GPs around the country were not uncommon and were a real concern, medical director of the College of GPs Dr Bryan Betty said.
The increase in workload was due to a surge in winter illness, appointments for second Covid-19 boosters and influenza vaccinations.
"We've seen various parts of the country that are underserviced by general practitioners. There's not enough doctors on the ground, or nurses on the ground, and the doctors and nurses are doing a lot of extra work on top of what they normally do.
"That situation is not uncommon around the country. It is certainly happening and it is a concern," Dr Betty told Checkpoint.
Medical staff were also starting to get unwell putting extra pressure on those able to continue working.
The influenza strain that was circulating was also "quite virulent" this year, and was making young people in particular more unwell.
Patients were being squeezed in on top of the usual caseload contributing to the fatigue that many GPs were experiencing.
"There's not enough doctors on the ground, or nurses on the ground" Medical director of the College of GPs Dr Bryan Betty