Flu-like illness is less than half as prevalent as it was this time last year, and the Southern region is even lower than the average.
The average consultation rate of nearly 20 per 100,000 people compared with about 50 per 100,000 this time last year, the latest ESR weekly influenza report shows.
However, the trend was heading up. Southern's consultation rate was slightly below the weekly average.
Two health boards, Counties Manukau and Auckland, were not factored in to the national table because they reported to a different surveillance system.
Virologist Lance Jennings, of the Canterbury District Health Board, told the Otago Daily Times the low rate so far was probably not due to the record number of flu jabs this year. This year the vaccination reached 29% of the population, helping at an individual level by preventing severe complications, rather than greatly reducing the overall rate.
As influenza B looked to be the dominant strain, flu season could peak as late as September, because that strain usually hit at the season's tail-end.
Much of the population might have developed immunity to the H1N1 and H3N2 strains, because of previous years' exposure, he said.
Influenza B tended to hit younger people, and he suggested rates might increase when school holidays ended on July 29.
''There is very little in the way of influenza virus activity occurring in New Zealand at the present time,'' Dr Jennings said.