Flu Vaccines

 Print This Page

What is influenza?

Influenza is a serious illness that usually causes epidemics every year during the winter months in New Zealand. The illness comes on suddenly with a fever or chills, sore throat, dry cough, headaches, fatigue, body aches and pains.

What is the difference between a cold and influenza?
Influenza makes people feel miserable and is much more serious than a common cold. Influenza can leave you ill for up to 10 days. Most people suffer from a high fever, tiredness and may require bed rest. Some may also experience shivering attacks, muscular pains, headaches, a dry cough and vomiting. Complications, like pneumonia can follow. A vaccine is available to protect against influenza.

A cold has much less severe symptoms and generally lasts 2-4 days. High fever is less common and shivering attacks and severe headaches are rare. Muscular pains and vomiting are infrequent and the cough is less severe. There is no vaccine available for colds.

Influenza virus is different from a cold virus. A cold virus affects only the nose, throat and upper chest and lasts for a few days.

IMPROVE YOUR DEFENCE
Make sure you and your family are ready to fight influenza.
Ask your doctor or nurse about immunisation.

Influenza Facts

• Immunisation helps improve your body’s defence against influenza.
• Being fit and healthy will not protect you from contracting influenza.
• The influenza vaccine can never give you influenza.
• Influenza is not the same as having a bad cold. It can Kill.
• Influenza immunisation is FREE for many people until the end of September.

Is Influenza Immunization free for you?

Influenza immunisation improves your body’s natural immunity. Seasonal Influenza vaccine is now FREE to any
individual (NZ Resident) who wishes to be protected from seasonal influenza.

Contact your General Practitioner at anyone of our medical centers for your free immunisation. This will be available until 30th September 2009 or until vaccine supplies have been depleted.