July 16th, 2025

Your health this winter 

There are many things we can do to keep ourselves, our whanau, and others well this winter:
 

• wear a mask in crowded spaces
• stay home if you’re feeling sick
• keep up-to-date with your vaccinations
• test for covid-19 if you have symptoms.

 
 
Be prepared, just in case
 
Check you have everything you need to stay well including prescriptions and medicines.
 
Talk to your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or health practitioner about your eligibility for COVID-19 antiviral medicines.
 
People with a high risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19, people aged 65 of over, Māori or Pacific people aged 50 or over are eligible.
 
Stay home if you’re sick.
If you test positive for COVID-19, isolate.
 
Remember to register your RAT result at MyCovidRecord.nz to access further help and support.
 
Free RATs (Rapid Antigen Tests) can be collected at participating pharmacies or ordered by calling 0800 222 478.
 
Find out more at Covid19.govt.nz
 
Free health advice
 
There are many ways you can access free health advice and help whenever you need it. You can access online resources any time, go to your pharmacy for healthcare advice or call free phone numbers. Most 0800 numbers have access to interpreters.
 
Healthify.nz
Reliable online information about health and medicines, self-care resources and videos can be found at the Healthify He Puna Waiora website Healthify.nz (previously Healthnavigator.org.nz).
 
Healthline 0800 611 116
Call Healthline any time for trusted health advice and information from nurses, paramedics, advisor, and doctors. You can choose to speak with Māori clinican if you’re calling between 8am-8pm.
 
Mental health and wellbeing support is available on 1737 – call or text
If you are feeling stressed, down or overwhelmed or just need someone to talk to, free call or text 1737 any time to talk to a trained counsellor.
 
You can also visit Allsorts.org.nz for wide range of resources.
 
Disability Helpline 0800 11 12 13 or text 8988
A dedicated team can support members of the disability community with:
 

• COVID-19 testing, face mask exemptions, managing COVID-19 at home.
• Any general health concerns
• Information and support

 
For assistance, you can access this using the NZ Relay Service nzrelay.co.nz
 
Vaccination Healthline 0800 28 29 26
For COVID-19 and flu vaccination advice, information and booking assistance.
 
COVID-19 Healthline 0800 358 5453
Supports people with information and advice about COVID-19.
 
 Help protect yourself, your whanau and your community
 
Boost your immunity. Get vaccinated
 
Immunising tamariki
Getting tamariki vaccinated is one of the best ways to set them up for a healthy future. Vaccines on the National Immunisation Schedule are free for all children aged 18 years or under.
Find out more at immunise.health.nz
 
Flu jab
It’s time for everyone aged 6 months or over to get their 2023 flu jab. It’s free for people aged 6 months to 12 years, aged 65 or over, Maori and Pacific aged 55 years or over, pregnant people and those with underlying health conditions.
 
 
21COVID-19 boosters
COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone aged 5 years or over. Regardless or how many booters you have already had, you can get an additional booster if it’s been 6 months or more since your last COVID-19 vaccination or infection, and you are:
 

• aged 30 years or over
• pregnant, and aged 16 years or over
• aged 16 to 29 years and higher rist of getting severely sick from COVID-19
• aged 12 to 15 years with a medical condition that increases the risk getting severely sick from COVID-19.

 
You can make a booking for both your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at BookMyVaccine.nz, at your local pharmacy or, talk to your local GP, nurse or health centre.
 
For more information visit:  Health.govt.nz/gowell