{"id":356576,"date":"2026-03-31T09:05:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/356576\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T09:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T09:05:14","slug":"health-nz-changes-advice-on-covid-19-vaccinations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/356576\/","title":{"rendered":"Health NZ changes advice on Covid-19 vaccinations"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Gloved<\/p>\n

\nCovid boosters would no longer be routinely recommended for many people. (File photo)
\nPhoto: AFP\n<\/p>\n

Health NZ has changed its advice on Covid-19 vaccinations<\/a>, saying most healthy people aged 30-64 no longer need regular boosters.<\/p>\n

But there were exceptions and anyone who wanted or needed a booster could still have a free one every six months.<\/p>\n

Recommendations to get for boosters remained in place for older age groups, M\u0101ori and Pasifika people from 50, the immunocompromised and many who had close contact with them.<\/p>\n

Health NZ changed the advice in its 2026 Immunisation Handbook, the guide for health professionals.<\/p>\n

It noted healthy adults in the age group were at lower clinical risk of severe infection so boosters were no longer routinely recommended.<\/p>\n

But it encouraged people to discuss whether they needed one with their healthcare provider or vaccinator.<\/p>\n

The Immunisation Advisory Centre’s Nikki Turner was part of the group giving clinical advice to Te Whatu Ora on this year’s handbook.<\/p>\n

\"Nikki<\/p>\n

\nDr Nikki Turner. (File photo)
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Angus Dreaver\n<\/p>\n

The change reflected the fact the vast majority of New Zealanders now had some level of immunity from Covid-19 – either from being vaccinated or having had the disease, she said.<\/p>\n

It brought New Zealand in line with many other Western countries.<\/p>\n

Cost was not a factor in the decision, with people still able to get one free booster a year if they wanted one, Turner said<\/p>\n

Rather, it was about making the advice on who should be vaccinated less confusing by tying it to the risk of severe impacts from the disease.<\/p>\n

“I think a lot of people were confused about who should be getting Covid vaccines and this general recommendation to suggest everybody, every six months just wasn’t happening,” she said<\/p>\n

The changes focused on making sure the most at risk people were encouraged to get boosted.<\/p>\n

They still recommended healthy people in the age group who were caring for vulnerable or immunocompromised people got regular boosters.<\/p>\n

Worries about long covid<\/p>\n

\"Man<\/p>\n

\nAbout nine percent of New Zealanders experienced some form of long Covid, Michael Baker said. (File photo)
\nPhoto: FANATIC STUDIO \/ SCIENCE PHOTO L\n<\/p>\n

Epidemiologist Michael Baker disagreed with the change and urged Te Whatu Ora to think again.<\/p>\n

He worried not being regularly boosted would lead to more people getting long Covid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About nine percent of New Zealanders had experienced some form of long covid, and many were living with chronic, debilitating symptoms, he said.<\/p>\n

“If you look at government statements on this, there is nothing. It’s almost like an invisible condition that we have not accepted at an official level – and I don’t know why,” he said.<\/p>\n

The changes were continuing the pattern of ignoring the disease, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

\nEpidemiologist Michael Baker. (File photo)
\nPhoto: Luke Pilkinton-Ching\n<\/p>\n

Turner said there was no clear evidence that extra boosters protected people from long covid.<\/p>\n

But Baker said there were studies that showed they were protective and it was important to keep reviewing the evidence.<\/p>\n

While a booster might not help those who already had long covid, it could prevent many more people getting it, he said.<\/p>\n

Advice for other age and risk groups<\/p>\n

People aged 75 and over were still recommended to get two boosters a year in the latest handbook, as were most severely immunocompromised people, or those over 50 with other conditions on the advice of their doctor.<\/p>\n

The National Public Health Service’s clinical director of protection, Christine McIntosh, said that was important.<\/p>\n

\"Health<\/p>\n

\nThe National Public Health Service’s clinical director of protection, Christine McIntosh. (File photo)
\nPhoto: RNZ\/Jessica Hopkins\n<\/p>\n

“Older adults, those adults with increasing frailty, and people with compromised immune systems have a reduced ability both to fight infection and to create lasting immunity, ” she said.<\/p>\n

“This puts them at the highest risk from the severe consequences of Covid-19 infection, despite having received multiple doses of vaccine and exposure to the virus.”<\/p>\n

Those aged over 80 had a rate of hospitalisation with Covid 10 times higher than those under 60, while people over 70 years accounted for most Covid-19-related deaths, she said.<\/p>\n

Those in the 65-74 age group, who were otherwise healthy were recommended to get one booster a year.<\/p>\n

The advice for M\u0101ori and Pacific between 50 and 74 people had not changed from one booster a year, with the handbook saying that was because they were at higher risk of severe disease at a younger age.<\/p>\n

There were some changes around advice for pregnant women.<\/p>\n

Te Whatu Ora urged people to check with their doctors or vaccinators to get the best and latest advice.<\/p>\n

Sign up for Ng\u0101 Pitopito K\u014drero<\/a>, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Covid boosters would no longer be routinely recommended for many people. (File photo) Photo: AFP Health NZ has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":356577,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,47,111,43,139,69,49,46,44,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-356576","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-audio","9":"tag-current-affairs","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-podcasts","15":"tag-public-radio","16":"tag-radio-new-zealand","17":"tag-rnz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/356577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}