Eligibility for Publicly Funded (Free) Vaccine
The vaccine is strongly recommended and will be provided FREE to people at highest risk of hospitalization and complications from the flu, as listed below.
a) People who are at high risk of complications from influenza:
- Adults and children with chronic cardiac or pulmonary disorders (including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and asthma) severe enough to require medical follow-up or hospital care
- People of any age who are residents of nursing homes or other chronic care facilities
- People 65 years of age and over
- Adults and children with chronic conditions such as diabetes and other metabolic diseases, cancer, immunodeficiency (including HIV infection), immunosuppression (due to underlying disease or therapy including transplant recipients), renal disease, anaemia and haemoglobinopathy
- Adults and children with any condition that can compromise respiratory function or handling of respiratory secretions, or increase risk of aspiration (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injury, seizure disorder, neuromuscular disorder)
- Children and adolescents (age 6 months to 18 years) treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid
- hildren aged 6 to 23 months offer Vaxigrip (Note: influenza vaccine is not effective for children less than 6 months of age)
- People working directly with live poultry and swine [EXPANDED GROUP]
- Residents of correctional facilities [NEW GROUP]
b) People capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk of complications from influenza:
- Healthcare workers and other workers (including students, trainees, and volunteers) who have significant contact with people in the high-risk groups above. This includes doctors, midwives, etc., and their staff
- Household contacts (including children) of people at high risk who either cannot be vaccinated or who may respond inadequately to vaccine
- Household contacts of children aged 0 to 23 months
- Those providing regular child care to children aged 0 to 23 months, whether in or out of the home
- Pregnant women expected to deliver during influenza season (as household contacts of the newborn) - offer Vaxigrip. (Note that influenza vaccine is recommended for women in high risk groups at any stage of pregnancy or breastfeeding.)
c) People providing essential community services requiring frequent close contact with people at risk:
- First responders (police, firefighters and ambulance) and corrections officers
Others not listed above are encouraged to be vaccinated, but must buy the vaccine.
