IMMUNISATION

Auckland Regional Public Health Service supports immunisation as a safe and effective way to help prevent serious illness in babies and children.

For questions about immunisation and vaccination-preventable diseases, contact the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC).

For information on the immunisation status of your child, please contact your family doctor.

National Immunisation Schedule

The National Immunisation Schedule is a programme of publicly funded vaccines available in New Zealand. The Ministry of Health manages this schedule which is available free to infants and children under the age of 18 years old. The vaccines on the schedule are to provide protection (immunity) against vaccine-preventable communicable diseases.

Childhood immunisations

Immunisation helps prevent many serious childhood infections. This is a free service for children under the age of 18 years, which is available from your primary health provider (your doctor). It is not necessary to see your doctor before you have these immunisations, your practice nurse can give these to your child.

When a child is immunised, their body's immune system is stimulated to protect against the diseases represented in the vaccine. It is important to understand that the risk from any of these diseases far outweighs any risk associated with vaccination.

To develop good immune protection against a range of serious diseases there is a comprehensive schedule of immunisations (including boosters) that must be given over time. It is also important that these immunisations are given when they are due.

The Ministry of Health recommends that all children are immunised against:

• Diphtheria (IMAC)
• Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HIB) (IMAC)
• Hepatitis B (IMAC)
• Human papilloma virus (HPV) (IMAC)(male and females aged 9 to 26 years inclusive) 
• Measles (IMAC)
• Mumps (IMAC)
• Pertussis (whooping cough) (IMAC)
• Pneumococcal disease (IMAC)
• Polio (IMAC)
• Rotavirus (IMAC)
• Rubella (IMAC)
• Tetanus (IMAC)
• Varicella (chickenpox) (IMAC) at age 15 months (from 1 July 2017). It is also funded for children who turn 11 years on or after 1 July 2017 if they have not previously been infected with chickenpox or previously vaccinated).

You can find more information on recommended child immunisations on the Immunisation Advisory Centre website.

More information for families of babies and young children

• Childhood immunisation (HealthEd)
• Immunise your child on time (HealthEd) - available in Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Cook Islands Māori, Hindi, Māori, NZ Sign Language, Sāmoan and Tongan.

Tuberculosis vaccine (BCG vaccine)

The BCG vaccine is for babies at higher risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease, which is defined as:

• babies at risk of catching TB from someone living in their house
• babies who are going to live in a country with a high rate of TB
• babies whose parents, household member or carer have in the last 6 months lived in a country with a high rate of TB.

View the list of countries with high rates of TB.

Pregnant women

Pregnant women are recommended to get the following free immunisations to protect them and their baby:

• Influenza
• Boostrix vaccine (protects against whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus and diphtheria) – between weeks 28 and 38 of pregnancy, in every pregnancy.

Adults aged 45 and 65 years

Adults aged 45 and 65 years are recommended to have booster vaccines against tetanus and diphtheria. The vaccine is free but people may be required to pay an administration fee for this service - see your medical centre.

Immunisation for adults and children at higher risk of severe disease or complications

Some immunisations are free for children and adults at high risk of severe disease or complications due to other medical conditions they have. These vaccines are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Haemophilus infuenzae type B (Hib), human papillomavirus, influenza, meningococcal, pertussis (Tdap), pneumococcal, tuberculosis and varicella vaccines. For more information visit the Ministry of Health website.

Other vaccines

The following vaccines are available for private purchase:

Varicella vaccine to protect against chicken pox.

• Meningococcal vaccine to protect against 4 (A, C, Y, W 135) of the groups of meningococcal disease. For further detail see Immunisation Advisory Centre website
• Zoster vaccine to protect people aged 50 years and over against shingles.

Talk to your doctor if you are interested in getting more information about these vaccines.

Travel vaccines

Advice about immunisations and other measures to protect you and your family's health is available from specialist travel medicine centres and local medical centres.

For further travel information visit:

• SafeTravel
• Travelling (Ministry of Health)

National Immunisation Register (NIR)

The NIR is a computerised information system that has been developed to hold immunisation details of New Zealand children. It enables authorised health professionals to quickly and easily find out what vaccines a child has been given (this includes children whose family has shifted to another area or changed healthcare providers). This will help to make sure immunisations are given at the appropriate time.

For information on the immunisation status of your child, please contact your family doctor.

For more information about the NIR visit the Ministry of Health website.

Helpful links

• Ministry of Health
• Immunisation Advisory Centre website, or phone 0800 466 863