1) Flu/influenza can cause serious illness in anyone and lead to hospitalisation and even death

Some people may experience a mild illness from the flu - but others will become extremely unwell. Those most likely to experience serious illness from the flu include pēpi and tamariki under 5 years, the elderly, hapū/pregnant people, and people with underlying health conditions. But the flu can cause serious illness in anybody, including otherwise healthy people, and hundreds of people in Aotearoa still die every year from the flu and flu-related complications.  

Getting the flu vaccine helps to protect you against catching the flu and from developing severe illness if you do catch the flu. 

2) If you have underlying health conditions, you are at greater risk of serious illness from the flu

Underlying health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, HIV, renal disease, and many other conditions can put you at more risk of serious illness if you catch the flu.

3) Getting the flu vaccine reduces the likelihood of you passing the flu on to others in your whānau or community who are vulnerable 

Even if you don't have any underlying health conditions, and you're not elderly or very young, getting the flu vaccine can help prevent you from spreading the flu to others who are vulnerable. 

4) Different flu viruses circulate every season, and the flu vaccine is carefully made each season to protect you against the flu viruses you're most likely to encounter 

5) Protection from the flu vaccine lessens over time, so it's important to get an annual flu vaccine to re-boost your immunity 

The flu vaccine you received the year prior, for example, won't be able to keep providing protection for you for the entire next flu season. 

6) Flu vaccines have been around for decades and have a great safety record

7) The funded (free) flu vaccine is available to many people, including anyone aged 65 years and over and people under 65 years with certain health conditions 

8) If you are hapū (pregnant), getting the flu vaccine helps to protect your pēpi as well 

Antibodies pass to your pēpi through the whenua/placenta, giving them protection against the flu once they are born but are still too young to receive their own vaccination.  

9) The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu

Flu vaccines don't contain live influenza viruses and therefore can't give you the flu. If you experience flu-like symptoms shortly after you get your flu vaccine, it may be because:

• You caught the flu before your flu vaccine had time to be effective

• You caught a flu virus that this season's flu vaccine doesn't protect against

• Flu vaccines can't prevent the flu with 100% effectiveness, but they do provide protection against severe illness if you do catch the flu 

10) THE FLU VACCINE IS THE SAFEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR WHĀNAU AGAINST THE FLU