1345 days ago

Flu Flying High

Michael from Trentham

Influenza is all around us and affecting our lives more than some may realise.
It has been said that the flu is more dangerous/damaging/ easier to transmit than the Omicron variant of Covid 19.

The flu jab is available in NZ and is usually highly effective in preventing people from getting the flu or passing it on. But it is currently not compulsory though is free to people over a certain age or people with certain health conditions and involved in certain professions.

One of the current issues is that many people connected with DHBs in NZ ( nurses, doctors etc) are not getting the flu jab. In the Wellington region overall the number of such people not vaccinated against the flu is over 40%. The main reason given for not getting a simple, safe (to a very high degree) and lightening quick jab that has been around for over 20 years, is TIME.

Unvaccinated medical personnel not only are subject to getting influenza but they can pass the flu onto patients whose health is already compromised. And the other aspect is that the medical profession is critically short of staff and a bout of influenza will compound the shortages with flu ridden absentees from the workforce.

So should time for a jab be made available for the health profession? Should time and a jab be mandated like Covid vaccinations were?

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21 days ago

Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.

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4 hours ago

Step by step for a great cause!

Shona McFarlane Retirement Village

Our amazing Hillary Hikers from Edmund Hillary Village showed their support for Bowel Cancer New Zealand's Move Your Butt campaign this month!

Sporting the bright purple and orange campaign shirts, these wonderful walkers hit the Auckland waterfront and marched from Mission Bay to Kohimarama, raising awareness for bowel cancer and the importance of early detection along the way.

Click read more to read the full story.

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20 hours ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

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