59642 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

59642 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What are the funding arrangements, if any, for general practitioners or primary health organisations who offer the mpox vaccine, and does the Minister consider it to be acceptable for co-payments to be charged for more timely service?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that the mpox vaccine is supplied by Health New Zealand at no cost to primary health providers. In most regions, sexual health services offer mpox clinical consultations, including testing and vaccination to those eligible free of charge. I am further advised that Health NZ is providing co-payments where necessary to enable free and equitable access to consultation and testing. Further work is underway for mpox to become an ‘approved immunisation programme’, which will remove the requirement for a prescription and associated costs.