Whether you are interested in becoming part of the vaccinator workforce, or just want to keep up to date, we provide a range of educational opportunities for you. We offer accredited courses to become an authorised vaccinator, a pharmacist vaccinator, or a vaccinating health worker, as well as two-yearly vaccinator update courses. As well as these we have vaccine-specific courses, immunisation register administration courses and many others. We also offer events such as information sessions, webinars, symposiums, workshops, and conferences.
Courses and events are online, face-to-face and blended (mixture of online and face-to-face).
Check out our workforce pages to explore the different roles in the immunisation workforce.
Our course standards are available to view here:
View our 2023 Course Schedule here
Education course registrations are now open for the online update and February and March 2023 dates. Further registrations will open as the year progresses.
If you're a provisionally authorised vaccinator looking for information about the Bridging course, have a look here.
In addition to education courses, IMAC also holds workshops, symposiums and webinars.
Each year we hold a National Immunisation Workshop designed for frontline vaccinators, health care professionals and immunisation coordinators. The topics tend to focus on practical aspects of service delivery and communication, but there are also clinical and technical updates.
Every second year, the workshop is combined with the National Immunisation Conference. The conference has a more academic focus, presenting recent research from areas of immunology, vaccinology, policy development and other topics. The conference attendees are usually a mix of workshop attendees and additional health professional, local and central government staff.
We also often hold webinars that address current issues of interest to the immunisation workforce.
Other regular events include the Influenza Symposium and Well Child Symposium.
We also provide access to recordings of past events. These can be accessed via our ‘past events’ listings. These are also hosted on IMAC’s LMS, so an account and registration for past events is also required to access the content.
This free course is designed to upskill provisional authorised vaccinators (PAVs) to achieve full scope of practice as authorised vaccinators (AV) or pharmacist vaccinators. Only registered/enrolled nurses, pharmacists and midwives already registered as PAVs* are eligible to register for the Vaccinator Bridging Course (VBC).
Upon completing the VBC, you will need to also meet all the requirements outlined in Appendix 4 of the Immunisation Handbook before you can apply for authorised vaccinator or pharmacist vaccinator status.
*Please do not register for this course if you have not yet received your provisional authorisation letter from Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand.
This course has 10-12 hours of online training followed by a 3.5 hour in-person tutorial. Go to the course here to see more details and choose a course in your region.
To apply for authorisation, you will need to complete the authorisation application form from your local public health unit. You’ll need to supply specified documents as evidence you have completed the appropriate training requirements and that you hold a valid NZ APC and a valid CPR certificate (as per A4.4. of the Immunisation Handbook for authorised vaccinators).
Pharmacist vaccinators do not have to apply for authorisation but must ensure they continue to meet the educational requirements outlined in Appendix 4 of the Immunisation Handbook to be a Pharmacist Vaccinator.
Authorised or pharmacist vaccinator status is valid for 2 years. All authorised or pharmacist vaccinators must complete a vaccinator update course every 2 years and authorised vaccinators must reapply for authorisation 2 yearly to the local Medical Officer of Health.
For course registration and online learning enquiries please contact the education team
For clinical and eligibility enquiries please contact one of our local team below:
VBC registration requests from Māori and Pacific providers will be prioritised. Please include ‘Māori or Pacific provider’ in the subject line of your eligibility inquiry email to IMAC.