More Māori over the age of 65 have been given the flu vaccine in the past five weeks than were vaccinated in NZ last year.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said it had been a record year for vaccines, with more than 1.35 million vaccines already distributed out to general practices, pharmacies, workplaces and other providers.
The number is more than has ever been distributed in an entire flu season in New Zealand.
However, Dr Bloomfield warned that the influenza vaccine doesn't provide protection against Covid-19, but that it was important to protect older and vulnerable people from getting ill and needing hospital care.
"It's been important for us to prioritise vulnerable groups early on, hence we started the vaccination campaign two weeks early and we continue to just prioritise and make it available for those groups who are publicly funded for a full month," Dr Bloomfield said.
"I'm pleased to say that over 451,000 people over 65 have been vaccinated already this year, exceeding total number in whole campaign last year in this age group; and likewise more Māori over 65 have been vaccinated in the past five weeks than in the entire year of vaccination last year."
Meanwhile, he assured the rest of the population who are healthy and no yet available to get the flu shot that there was a very low level of influenza circulating in our community.
Dr Bloomfield said it was a direct result of the lockdown, which has also halted other sorts of respiratory illnesses from spreading.
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