New COVID-19 booster vaccine available nationwide from this week

A new COVID-19 booster vaccine is available across New Zealand from this week, with pharmacies and clinics beginning to administer the latest LP.8.1 formulation.

Pharmac has confirmed the updated strain-matched vaccine is now being distributed to providers nationwide as part of the ongoing refresh of the national immunisation programme.

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The booster has approval from Medsafe and remains funded.

The LP.8.1 formulation has been updated to more closely match the COVID-19 subvariants currently circulating in the community. Strain updates are part of the routine vaccine refresh process, similar to seasonal influenza vaccines, and are intended to improve the immune response against the dominant lineages.

Aligning boosters to prevailing variants helps maintain protection against severe illness and complications, particularly for older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.

During the transition period, some vaccination sites may still have earlier JN.1 doses in stock. People booking a booster are being urged to ask their pharmacist or vaccinator to confirm which version is being administered.

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New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccine supply continues through Pfizer-BioNTech.

Eligibility criteria for boosters remain unchanged and vaccination continues to be recommended for those at higher risk of severe illness.

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