The Ministry of Education will reimburse education providers across the country for their flu vaccinations - but some are finding it hard to access their shots. File photo / Warren Buckland
The Ministry of Education will reimburse education providers across the country for their flu vaccinations - but some are finding it hard to access their shots. File photo / Warren Buckland
A high school principal is frustrated that he's twice had to tell staff their flu shots have been cancelled, after their supplier was unable to access enough doses for everyone.
John Paul College, a Catholic co-ed school in Rotorua, was set to provide the jabs to all staff but the clinic running the vaccinations cancelled this morning due to insufficient supply.
Staff were told by email that the clinic was "very apologetic but it is out of their control".
It was recommended anyone with diseases such as diabetes or asthma should book a shot at their GP or a pharmacy, and keep the receipt for reimbursement.
He understood that in both instances the supplier had been unable to source enough vaccine for everyone so was prioritising high-risk groups.
The flu shot is free for vulnerable people such as over-65s and pregnant women, and these groups have been prioritised for vaccination ahead of opening up access to the wider public.
But getting enough doses where they're needed has proved difficult, with reports of stockpiling and some GPs unable to get enough vaccines even for high-risk groups.
The Ministry of Health has said there are about 700,000 flu vaccine doses sitting in fridges around the country, and another batch of 320,000 is arriving next week.
Patrick Walsh, principal of John Paul College in Rotorua, can't get flu jabs for staff despite the Ministry of Education offering to fund them. File photo / Ben Fraser
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said this morning the Government had done its job, which was ensuring there was a good supply of the vaccine. But distribution was the responsibility of district health boards.
"[Supplies] need to be moved around by the head of immunisation at each DHB and we let them do that job," she said. "If a medical centre finds it doesn't have enough flu vaccine, it contacts its local immunisation co-ordinator and they're moved around."
Health chief Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today there was currently a "very low level" of influenza in the community this year, thanks to the lockdown which had stopped all sorts of respiratory illnesses as well as Covid-19.
The Ministry of Education has told schools and early childhood education providers it will fund their flu jabs this year for all staff. But it is not currently organising the vaccine programme - staff must access the vaccine themselves.
While John Paul College had planned to put on a free vaccine clinic for all staff, some schools are telling staff to seek the vaccine from a GP or pharmacy and keep the receipt for reimbursement.
"We're really appreciative of the Ministry of Education offering to pay for teachers to be vaccinated," Walsh said. "It's a very generous and appropriate offer... but it's frustrating when you go to exercise it there aren't enough flu jabs."
He was concerned about a "perfect storm" situation where a large number of students would return in level 2, but significant numbers of teachers would not as they were immune compromised. If teachers then caught the flu the school would be badly short-staffed.
"Schools are high-risk, with lots of people in crowded spaces. And we don't want the whole issue of trying to distinguish between Covid-19 and someone who might have the flu," he said.
"It would be nice to have peace of mind that staff can interact with students [safely]."
