8. Question No. 8—HealthDr SHANE RETI (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 8—Health8. Dr SHANE RETI (National) to the Minister of Health: What is the total list value of non-COVID vaccines that have expired in the past five years and how many 15 to 30 year olds to date have received a vaccine as part of the measles catch-up campaign launched in July 2020?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): Quantities of 22 different vaccines expired before they were used in the last five years. The list value of these vaccines before applying rebates and credits was $21.7 million and after applying rebates and credits the net cost was $11.5 million. When the decision to procure a particular vaccine is made it is done on the best information at the time and with a reasonable expectation of what can be administered in the period ahead. But the nature of pharmaceutical purchasing is that once you place an order that's it; you own the stock. Generally speaking they don't do sale and return. In response to the second part of the member's question: 24319 15- to 30-year-olds have been vaccinated as part of the measles catch-up campaign since July 2020.Dr Shane Reti: How many months in advance is he given notice of the likelihood of millions of dollars of vaccines expiring?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Well as I tried to explain to the member in my answer to his primary question it is that pharmaceutical procurement requires a lead time and it's done on the basis of the best information at the time and with a forecast for what can be administered but then things come along such as a worldwide pandemic that disrupts the roll-out of particular campaigns. When pharmaceuticals are procured they are procured on the basis of what is needed at a particular time but also a buffer for subsequent years and that buffer can be anything from four to nine months of supply for that particular vaccine.Dr Shane Reti: Why did he not call the Meningitis Foundation who say they would have been able to distribute the 17000 meningitis vaccines before they were allowed to expire?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Pharmaceutical purchasing is the responsibility of Pharmac and management of campaigns is the responsibility of clinical leaders within the Ministry of Health and DHBs and they put together the plan of both procurement and roll-out of the campaign.Dr Shane Reti: How many flu vaccines does he expect will expire this year and will it be more or less than the $3.8 million of flu vaccines that according to written questions he allowed to expire last year?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The flu vaccination campaign for 2022 is going gangbusters. We now have roughly 230000 flu immunisation jabs that have been administered and no one is expecting the flu campaign this year to be anything other than a success.Dr Shane Reti: Will he give any soon-to-expire flu vaccines away for free this year for those who would otherwise have to pay for them or would he rather have them expire?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government has increased the number of flu vaccines available to New Zealanders—roughly 2 million. We have seen a very good start to the campaign—it started on 1 April—roughly 230000 jabs now having been administered and we'll continue to do that. I anticipate that New Zealanders will understand the importance of getting a flu jab this year because of the ongoing risks of COVID and because they want to have a safe and secure winter.