Preventing 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 vaccinators who provide this valuable service.

Some reasons why vaccination is important

Community and Public Health is an advocate for vaccination programmes because immunisation uses the body’s immune system to build resistance to serious diseases.

An immunised individual helps protect vulnerable people in the community by decreasing the possibility of a disease spreading. These vulnerable people are infants, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems. This protective effect only occurs if enough people are vaccinated and is called ‘herd immunity’.

New Zealand has a low child immunisation rate compared with other countries. This results in regular outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Ministry of Health’s target is that 95 percent of infants will have completed their primary course of immunisation on time (at six weeks, three months and five months of age).

• View informative videos on vaccine-preventable diseases (Immunisation Advisory Centre).
• Download or order immunisation resources from the Community Health Information Centre.
• Find out about vaccines available in New Zealand, such as Bexsero, Boostrix, Shingrix and Zostavax (Immunisation Advisory Centre).
• View a list of South Island Immunisation Coordinators (Immunisation Advisory Centre).

New Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR) is coming

New Zealanders can receive vaccinations from a range of health providers over their lifetime. At the moment, health providers can’t always get a full picture of a person’s vaccination history to help them and the consumer make the best health decisions.

The AIR will replace the ageing National Immunisation Register (NIR) and:

• provide an accurate understanding of population immunisation coverage rates. This means programmes can be planned better to support populations with the lowest immunisation rates;
• reduce digital barriers and support the health sector to deliver better immunisation services; and
• give New Zealanders a way to record and track immunisations they have received and are entitled to.

The AIR is being co-designed with health providers with a strong emphasis on Māori and Pacific providers and is incorporating learning from their collective experience.

• Find out more about the new Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR).

Documents

• Initial Priorities for the National Immunisation Programme in Aotearoa (Te Whatu Ora 2023).
• Evaluation of the Māori Influenza and Measles Vaccination Programme: In Pursuit of Māori Health Equity (Ministry of Health 2022).
• Evidence of suboptimal maternal vaccination coverage in pregnant New Zealand women and increasing inequity over time: A nationwide retrospective cohort study (Vaccine 2022).
• Tips for overcoming needle phobia (Mental Health Foundation 2022).
• Group A Streptococcus and acute rheumatic fever in Aotearoa New Zealand: A summary of current knowledge in Aotearoa New Zealand (Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor 2021).
• Māori Māmā views and experiences of vaccinating their pēpi and tamariki: A qualitative Kaupapa Māori study (Health Promotion Agency 2021).

• Addendum to National Standards for Vaccine Storage and Transportation Providers 2017: 2nd edition (Ministry of Health 2021).
• More Than Just a Jab: Evaluation of the Māori Influenza Vaccination Programme as part of the COVID-19 Māori Health Response (Ministry of Health 2021).
• Immunisation Handbook 2020 (Ministry of Health).
• Influenza vaccine supply chain report (Ministry of Health 2020).
• National Standards for Vaccine Storage and Transportation for Immunisation Providers 2017: 2nd edition (Ministry of Health 2019).
• Improving New Zealand’s childhood immunisation rates (Allen and Clarke 2019).

• Evaluation of the Implementation of the Varicella Vaccine Introduction (Allen and Clarke 2018).
• 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.

• Set your tamariki up for a healthy future.
• Immunise against HPV – available in multiple languages.
• Immunise against chickenpox – available in multiple languages.
• Immunisation for older people – also available in multiple languages and large print.
• Immunise during pregnancy – available in multiple languages.
• BCG Vaccine: Information for parents – available in multiple languages.

Links

• Immunise NZ (Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand).
• National Immunisation Register (Ministry of Health).
• Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC).

• Find out more about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The HPV vaccine is safe, long-lasting and it’s FREE

HPV is a common virus that can cause 6 types of cancer – in the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and mouth/throat.

HPV vaccination can provide long-term protection for tamariki from HPV cancers.

The FREE vaccine is offered through most schools in Year 8. This is the best age to get it. If tamariki miss getting the HPV vaccine at school, they can still get it free at their medical centre.

Teens and young adults who didn’t have the HPV vaccine in Year 8 also need to be vaccinated. It’s free through their medical centre or family planning clinic up until their 27th birthday.