Hot topics

Maintaining high immunisation coverage in the current COVID-19 disease circulating environment.

We have progressively observed a fall in childhood immunisation coverage, leaving our tamariki and pēpē at high risk from vaccine-preventable diseases. It is clear that this has happened through the COVID-19 pandemic, but what many don’t realise is that a decline started in 2016.

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Bexsero funded for special groups from 1 July 2021

PHARMAC has announced the addition of funded Bexsero for certain special groups who are close contacts of a meningococcal disease case or who have a higher risk of meningococcal disease from 1 July 2021.

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Removal of spacing requirements between COVID-19 vaccine and other Schedule vaccines

All the vaccines on the National Immunisation Schedule can now be given concurrently, immediately before or after the mRNA-COVID-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, with the exception of the shingles vaccine (Zostavax). This includes MMR, influenza, HPV (Gardasil 9), tetanus, diphteria and pertussis (Boostrix) and the meningococcal vaccines (Bexsero and Menactra). See the IMAC COVID-19 website, here, for further information.

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Provisional Authorised Vaccinator update course

All authorised vaccinators are required to attend an update course every two years. Some Provisional Authorised Vaccinators are approaching two years since they completed their Provisional Vaccinator Foundation Course in 2020 and due to an administrative change their authorisation does not expire until 2023. These Provisionally Authorised Vaccinators are required to complete a Provisional Vaccinator Update course and will be sent a package code to be able to access the course by the Ministry of Health.

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Last updated: Dec 2019