Media release from Waikato District Health Board

Waikato District Health Board has managed to not only reach their under-twos immunisation target six weeks ahead of schedule, but also exceed it by three per cent.

This year immunisation coverage of Maori children, aged under two, rose from 63 per cent to 80 per cent and Pacific children 66 per cent to 89 per cent.

The Ministry of Health set Waikato's target for coverage of under-two-year-olds at 81 per cent by June 30 2010. Overall, 84 per cent of this age group are currently fully immunised.

The Ministry recently applauded Waikato DHB for its initiative and 'outside-the-box' approach to immunisation and urged the DHB to take a lead role for immunisation within the Midland region.

Its 'no child left behind' and collaborative approach saw Waikato DHB immunisation providers,  the Immunisation Advisory Centre, primary care and outreach providers work together to protect as many Waikato children as possible from preventable illness.

Population Health's National Immunisation Register team and opportunistic immunisation services played a large part in the achievements.

The Mobile Immunisation Service comprises a van and car complete with two nurse vaccinator teams, which travel the length and breadth of the Waikato DHB region - over an eighth of the country - to immunise hard-to-reach children, limiting access issues such as transport and finance for parents.

The Hospital Opportunistic Immunisation Service, based at Waikato Hospital, allows children who present at hospital as either a patient or visitor, to get their required immunisations in the Emergency Department and in wards and clinics.

To date, the Hospital Opportunistic Immunisation Service has immunised more than 400 children since its inception in August 2009.

"Needless to say, the service has proven itself here in the Waikato and we look forward to introducing it over in Thames Hospital in the coming months as well," said Population Health's National immunisation Register and Opportunistic Immunisation Services' manager Andrina Romano.

"We are extremely excited about our success here in the Waikato and couldn't have done it without the different sectors and organisations working together as seamlessly as we have.

"Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to be immunised at the earliest appropriate age is an important public health goal. We are letting the system follow the child from primary health, into secondary care and back into primary, and will continue to do so, but hone it even further in the future, with the aim to capture as many opportunities for immunisation as possible."

For more information about Waikato's childhood immunisation services, visit www.waikatodhb.govt.nz