Get flu vaccine and help Northland's already stretched health system cope better, medical professionals plead.
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Northland health providers are begging the public to get the flu vaccine to prevent serious illness as the health system fights a twindemic of flu and Covid 19.
"There's been an uptake in the number of calls and appointments through our health service, just in regard to the fact that they can't get an appointment with the doctors... because there is so much flu around as well as Covid.
"The nurses are managing at the moment, but they definitely can see that this will not last long term, it will be a clear drain on our resources both human and otherwise."
The Māori health organization in Kāeo is waiting with crossed fingers for increased support under the new Health NZ oversight as promised in the Government's 2022 Budget.
"A small health provider service like ours runs on a team of five, one of them goes down (with illness) it's sort of dominoes from there."
It's not all bad news for the Far North. Kaio said the team had a successful response to community immunisation.
"Last month we had a bit of an immunization drive... leading into winter and autumn.
"(We) delivered, I think twice as many flu vaccines as we did last year."
The health provider has also seen success with its mobile health service, delivering the flu vaccine to the rural Far North community.
"They've seen those numbers and requests for the flu vaccine out as far north as Hihi."
"The public definitely recognized that this was going to be a problem this year."
Anyone over six months can have a flu vaccine according to the Ministry of Health.
This year's flu vaccine is free for the following groups:
Pregnant people
Māori communities and Pacific people aged 55 years and older
Everyone aged 65 years and older
People aged under 65 years with certain medical conditions
People under 65 years of age who have schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder; OR are currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services
Children/tamariki aged 3–12 years
Children/tamariki under 3 years who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or have a history of significant respiratory illness.
Health NZ advice for non-urgent patients
Do you have cold or flu symptoms? If so: The best treatment is to stay home and get plenty of rest, fluids and medicines that ease your symptoms. You don't need antibiotics (they won't fix your cold, flu or Covid-19). To check for Covid, take a RAT test and isolate if needed.