Tuesday Pānui 7 April 2026

Tuesday’s Pānui	Influenza Vaccination Reimbursement for Non-Health NZ health Workers Auckland PHO Winter Playbook Auckland PHO Influenza Vaccination Funding Support
Influenza Vaccination Reimbursement for Non-Health NZ health Workers	One of the Influenza Vaccination Programme goals is to increase the non-Health NZ district employed health and disability workers vaccinated annually for influenza. Prevention will again support eligible employers of non-Health New Zealand health and disability employed workers to claim for the cost of vaccinating frontline patient facing staff against influenza via the Reimbursement Portal. 2025 The National Public Health Service (NPHS) has agreed, for a limited time, to accept claims from the 2025 season that were not submitted by the original deadline. Practices will have until 30 April 2026 to submit any outstanding 2025 claims. Claims for this period can be submitted through the portal as usual. Combine all 2025 vaccinations into a single claim and ensure the correct invoice date is entered. This will help NPHS clearly distinguish 2025 claims from those submitted for the 2026 season. 2026 The Portal is open from 1 April 2026 and closes on 30 September 2026. Information about the reimbursement scheme is on the Health NZ website.
Auckland PHO Winter Playbook	As we head into the winter season, we would like to update you on the upcoming Health NZ Winter Playbook, which we understand will be released via Medinz this Friday. To complement this national guidance, the team at Auckland PHO has developed an Auckland PHO Winter Playbook tailored specifically for our network. This resource has been designed to support practices to maximise influenza vaccination uptake across both enrolled populations and your own teams. Practice Incentives - We recognise the significant effort required to deliver a successful vaccination programme. To support this, the Auckland PHO playbook includes: Staff vaccination incentive to support practices to achieve at least 80% vaccination of all practice staff Additional achievement funding for reaching the 75% target Further details on eligibility, claiming processes, and timelines will be outlined in the Playbook which will be sent to practices in due course.
Auckland PHO Influenza Vaccination Funding Support	This is a friendly reminder to submit your invoice for your practice’s influenza vaccination support funding if you haven’t already done so. This funding is available to support your practice’s influenza vaccination campaign and can be used for activities such as SMS reminders to patients and other approaches that help increase vaccination uptake. How to access the funding: Please send an invoice requesting the upfront payment to suzanne@aucklandpho.co.nz  Ensure your invoice clearly identifies your practice and the request for the allocated influenza vaccination support funding If you missed the earlier communication outlining your allocated amount, please contact Suzanne directly and she will confirm the funding available to your practice. We encourage you to make the most of this support to help boost vaccination coverage across your enrolled population.

Barbara Stevens | Tumu Whakarae / CEO