“It looks like it’s going to be quite a severe variant of the flu this year,” he said. He said while some schools offered flu vaccines to staff, most did not generally track vaccination rates for staff or students. Flu vaccines were free for eligible people, such as pregnant women or those over 65, and would otherwise cost between $20 and $40. Covid vaccines were free and boosters were available to people aged 30 or older. While many employers commonly funded flu vaccines for their employees each year, not many funded Covid boosters, Betty said.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 19, 2026 05:32 UTC