Publication date: Aug 06, 2026
Pharmacy-based influenza vaccination became part of New Zealand’s public vaccination programme in 2017, eliminating out-of-pocket costs to consumers. This study evaluated trends in pharmacy-based influenza vaccination among adults aged ≥65 in New Zealand following the 2017 funding policy change, with the aim of examining whether the availability of government-funded influenza vaccination increased pharmacy-based vaccination in this population. Data on influenza vaccinations administered between 2015 and 2021 to adults ≥65 were provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Health from the National Immunisation Register. Descriptive analyses were employed to assess the absolute number and percentage of vaccinations given by each provider type from 2015 through 2021 to document trends after the public funding policy change and in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of influenza vaccinations administered increased from 322 161 in 2015 to 525 769 in 2021. After public funding for influenza vaccination began in pharmacies, annual physician- and nurse-administered vaccinations ranged from 401 840 to 426 005 and 12 590 to 19 586, respectively, between 2018 and 2021, while pharmacist-administered vaccinations steadily increased from 16 042 to 96 343. The percentage of influenza vaccinations administered by pharmacists grew from nearly 0% in 2015 to 3. 7% in 2018 and 18. 3% in 2021. Research findings suggest that public funding for pharmacist-administered influenza vaccinations contributed to expanding overall influenza vaccine access in New Zealand among adults ≥65. In addition, the increase in pharmacist-delivered vaccinations did not negatively impact vaccinations administered by traditional providers, further demonstrating the value and growing role of pharmacies in advancing national immunization efforts.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| community pharmacy services | |
| immunization programmes | |
| influenza | |
| pharmacies | |
| vaccination |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | influenza |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |