Become a Vaccinator to help keep our community healthy
Medical Officers of Health are responsible for approving authorised vaccinator applications (Regulation 44A of the Medicines Regulation 1984). They also recommend local Yellow Fever Vaccinator and Vaccination Centre applications to the Ministry of Health.
This page gives information about the process of applying to become either an authorised or yellow fever vaccinator, including the necessary forms.
Your application must be submitted by email on the documentation provided below.
Please allow up to four weeks for your application to be processed if all required documentation is supplied.
FREE online childhood immunisation training available soon for pharmacists
A recent restriction change by Health New Zealand and Pharmac will enable pharmacies to deliver childhood immunisations.
Pharmacist vaccinators will be able to access a fully-funded training package from the Immunisation Advisory Cente (IMAC) to become an authorised vaccinator, so they can administer vaccines to anyone from 6 weeks of age.
Participating community pharmacies will be able to start providing childhood immunisations once pharmacists have upskilled to authorised vaccinators.
- Find out more about the decision to enable childhood vaccinations to be given in pharmacies (Pharmac).
Becoming an Authorised Vaccinator
Authorised vaccinators are able to administer vaccines without a prescription or standing order from a medical professional. Only vaccines that are part of an approved immunisation programme can be given such as the Ministry of Health’s national immunisation programmes, or a local immunisation programme.
Only NZ registered and enrolled nurses, and NZ midwives are eligible to apply. The applicant needs to prove their resuscitation skills, knowledge and clinical skills.
- Get information on the application and renewal process for an Authorised Vaccinator in the Canterbury, South Canterbury and West Coast Regions [412KB PDF] – Revised March 2025.
Successful authorisations last for two years, and you must apply for a renewal to continue to vaccinate.
Forms for Authorised Vaccinators
Complete the relevant documentation available below to apply.
Email your application with supporting documents attached to vaccinator[at]cdhb.health.nz. This is a critical step in the processing of your application.
- Application for Initial Approval as an Authorised Vaccinator [160KB PDF] – Revised March 2025.
- Application for Approval of an Immunisation Programme [308KB PDF] – Revised March 2025.
- Application for Renewal as an Authorised Vaccinator [212KB PDF] – Revised March 2025.
Note: The Peer Review of Clinical Practice for Authorised Vaccinators is no longer needed for renewal applications.
Contact the Christchurch Te Mana Ora office for more information on Authorised Vaccinators:
Sophie Rose
Ph: +64 3 364 1777
Applying to Become a Yellow Fever Vaccinator
The Ministry of Health reviewed the yellow fever vaccinator policy in July 2017. This policy formalised and standardised the process of assessing applications for approval of yellow fever vaccinators and vaccinating centres, and for follow-up audit and review.
Approval to provide yellow fever vaccination is restricted to individual medical practitioners under the policy, and the ability to order yellow fever vaccine is restricted to approved vaccinating centres. Approval for vaccinators and vaccinating centres is granted by the Director-General of Health upon the recommendation of a Medical Officer of Health from the local Public Health Unit.
- Read the Ministry of Health’s Yellow Fever Vaccinators and Vaccination Centres Policy [266KB PDF] – Updated August 2017.
Approval to be either a vaccinator or a vaccinating centre is not be transferable and is valid for:
- only one year for a centre; and
- three years for a vaccinator.
Any centre or practitioner wanting to continue prescribing the yellow fever vaccine must apply to the Medical Officer of Health for renewal of approval. It is the responsibility of the centre or the practitioner to seek re-approval.
Forms for Yellow Fever Vaccinators
Complete the relevant documentation available below to apply.
Scan and email your application with supporting documents attached to joanne.webster[at]cdhb.health.nz. This is a critical step in the processing of your application.
Reviewed forms will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health for their approval. The Ministry will notify the practitioner and the vaccine supplier once this process is completed.
- Application Form for Authorisation as a Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre [120KB PDF] – updated August 2017.
- Application Form for Authorisation as a Yellow Fever Vaccinator [136KB PDF] – updated August 2017.
Contact the Christchurch Te Mana Ora office for more information on Yellow Fever Vaccinators:
Joanne Webster
Ph: +64 3 364 1777
Documents
- Addendum to National Standards for Vaccine Storage and Transportation Providers 2017: 2nd edition (Ministry of Health 2021).
- National Standards for Vaccine Storage and Transportation for Immunisation Providers: Second edition (Ministry of Health 2019).
- Policy for the Authorisation of Yellow Fever Vaccinators and Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres (Ministry of Health 2017).
Links
Latest public health updates
- National Pertussis Surveillance Dashboard
- Tamaiti Healthy Homes service in Waitaha Canterbury
- Information and resources on measles and MMR vaccination
Latest public health alerts
- Protecting infants against pertussis - 28th November 2024
- Pertussis (whooping cough) in Canterbury - 22nd May 2024
Featured links
- Strategic Approach to Immunisation in New Zealand 2025–2030 (Ministry of Health)
- Public Health Surveillance Strategy 2025–2030 (Ministry of Health)
- Prolonged Symptoms Attributable to Infection with COVID-19 (Ministry of Health)