Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and Whānau Āwhina Plunket will pilot childhood immunisations at select sites nationwide to increase access and boost immunisation.

“This is an exciting but natural next step for us to train our specialist nurses and healthcare workers to begin offering childhood immunisations alongside our existing services,” Plunket chief executive Fiona Kingsford said.

The new pilot programme, funded to run until June 2026, was announced by Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello today.
 
Whānau Āwhina Plunket is a charity and Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest support service for the health and wellbeing of tamariki under five years old and their whānau.
 
The service supports 75 per cent of newborn babies, including nearly 60 per cent of Māori pēpi.

“We’re committed to making it easier for whānau to get their tamariki vaccinated on time, to engage with whānau who are not enrolled in primary care, and in areas with low immunisation rates. It is also an opportunity to encourage whānau and tamariki to enrol in a General Practice,” Kingsford said.
 
Whānau Āwhina Plunket will trial offering immunisation alongside in-clinic Well Child visits, at dedicated immunisation clinics and community events, and eventually at home.
 
Health NZ’s national public health service national director, Dr Nick Chamberlain, said childhood immunisation rates must improve, and we hope this pilot will help.
 
“The Immunisation Taskforce Report recommended expanding the vaccinator workforce, which includes enabling all Well Child Tamariki Ora providers to deliver childhood immunisations.”

The involvement of Whānau Āwhina Plunket in this approach is crucial, said Dr Chamberlain, and stimulates the immunisation goals of the charity.
 
“This pilot is about providing additional access opportunities, not just at clinics but also at home - general practice will continue to remain the mainstay of immunisation and will be accountable for their enrolled populations however, as with other initiatives, this is aimed to support general practice where families are finding it difficult to access immunisation.” Dr Chamberlain said.

The first site will be in Whangārei and is expected to start administering childhood immunisations by the end of 2024. The subsequent sites will be established and operational in Kaikohe, Hamilton, Taumarunui, and Whanganui by March 2025. 

“Our hope is that in time, this will help to ease pressure on not just primary care but the broader health system and, ultimately, lift immunisation rates where it’s needed most,” Chamberlain said.