NIP changes hit elderly and patients with chronic disease
Patients with COPD, severe asthma or diabetes alone no longer qualify for funded pneumococcal vaccine
Healthy older Australians and many others with chronic diseases will miss out on free pneumococcal vaccination under a major shake-up of the National Immunisation Program.
From 1 July, healthy people will no longer be offered a government-funded pneumococcal vaccine from age 65 when the threshold rises to 70 due to cost-effectiveness measures.