Prevention of infectious diseases through immunisation

Community and Public Health is committed to encouraging immunisation amongst New Zealanders. Our main focuses are promoting the benefits of vaccination programmes, and certifying the authorised and yellow fever vaccinators that provide this valuable service.

Some Reasons Why Vaccination is Important

Community and Public Health is an advocate for vaccination programmes because immunisation helps prevent against many diseases. Immunisation uses the body’s immune system to build resistance to specific infections.

An immunised individual helps protect the rest of the population by decreasing the possibility of a disease spreading. This is important for vulnerable people like infants, the elderly and people with impaired immune systems. However, this effect only occurs if enough people are vaccinated and is known as ‘herd immunity’.

New Zealand has a low child immunisation rate compared to other countries. This results in regular outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases every few years. The Ministry of Health has a specific target of 95 percent of infants aged eight-months will have completed their primary course of immunisation on time (six weeks, three months and five months immunisation events).

• Download or order immunisation resources from the Community Health Information Centre.
• View a list of South Island Immunisation Coordinators (Immunisation Advisory Centre).

Documents

• Immunisation Handbook 2017 (Ministry of Health)
• National Immunisation Schedule (Ministry of Health)
• Audience Research: Delayers of Infant Immunisation (Ministry of Health 2013)
• HPV Immunisation Programme Implementation Evaluation (Ministry of Health 2012)
• Targeting Immunisation: Increasing Immunisation (Ministry of Health 2011)
• Immunisation Audience Research (Ministry of Health 2011)

Downloads

Download or order resources from the Community Health Information Centre.

• Immunise your child on time
• Measles
• Whooping Cough also known as Pertussis
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIb)
• Immunise against HPV
• BCG Vaccine: Information for Parents

Links

• Immunise for Life (CDHB)
• Immunisation (Ministry of Health)
• National Immunisation Register (Ministry of Health)
• Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)

Changes to the National Immunisation Schedule

PHARMAC have announced changes to the New Zealand National Immunisation Schedule that take effect in 2017.

From 1st January 2017, HPV immunisation will be free for everyone, male or female, aged 9 to 26.

From 1 July 2017, chickenpox immunisation will be free for all children at 15 months of age.

Year 7 and 8 Immunisation Videos

Both boys and girls are offered free immunisations at around age 11 against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough (pertussis), and at around age 12 against human papillomavirus (HPV).

These immunisations are provided by general practices in Canterbury. Other parts of the South Island provide Year 7 immunisation through general practice and Year 8 at school.

Watch videos from the Ministry of Health that explain these Year 7 and 8 immunisations.