Calls for free flu vaccine for under-5s as hospitalisations soar

Home / New ZealandRNZ25 Aug, 2026 09:14 PM4 mins to readHospitalisations for severe respiratory illness in under-5s are soaring. Photo / 123rfHospitalisations for severe respiratory illness in under-5s are soaring. Photo / 123rfBy RNZHospitalisation rates are soaring for under-5s with flu-like illnesses, many of them in intensive care.That has prompted a call from the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group to make the flu vaccine free for young children.

Chair and GP Mamaeroa David said Māori and

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