Health authorities say there hasn't been a single case of influenza in the Bay of Plenty for 12 months.

Medical Officer of Health Phil Shoemack says the short answer is that the flu has not been affecting New Zealander's.

'There's been virtually no influenza anywhere in the world and certainly in the Bay of Plenty, where we've had no confirmed cases of influenza for over a year.

'The whole of New Zealand has had no confirmed cases of influenza so far this year,” says Phil.

'There may be some people who have had the flu that haven't had a test done but it's one of the strange phenomena associated with this pandemic, there has been a decrease in other illnesses and influenza is definitely one of them,” he says.

Although the absence of influenza throughout the country is a positive thing, Phil says the threat of the influenza virus getting into the community is still very real.

'We're still very keen for people to take up the influenza vaccine,” says Phil.

'At a personal level, good personal hygiene definitely helps to prevent the spread from one person to another, but of course, for the virus to get into New Zealand it needs to come with people.

One of the theories to why there's been a dramatic decline in influenza globally in the last 18 months is because there's been so much less travelling.

Dr Phil Shoemack.

'Even though we now have quite a few people coming into New Zealand we still have not yet had any transmission of influenza.”

Phil says these complex issues have equally complex solutions that all add up.

'It is important to get vaccinated with less people in the country and to carry on with personal hygiene practises as it adds to further levels of protection.”

As for the rest of the world, Phil says it's a global phenomenon with almost no influenza activity at all in a lot of countries.

'I've looked both on websites from Europe and America and last year was the lowest level of influenza activity since decent data was recoded – about 40 years.

'What we've got to make sure is people don't become complacent and that is why we're promoting the vaccine and hand washing.

'If people continue with their good personal hygiene practises staying home if unwell that leads to further protection.”