Children and youth: Services and initiatives

  1. Public Health
  2. Children and youth: Services and initiatives
  3. • Childhood immunisation

Tamariki/childhood immunisation

Immunisation is also known as vaccination and is the most effective way to protect your child against diseases that can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, illnesses. 

Immunisation uses your body’s natural defence mechanism, the immune response, to build resistance to specific infections. If you have been immunised and you come into contact with that disease, your immune system will respond to prevent you from developing the disease. 

Childhood diseases

Immunisation protects children from these diseases: 

 

Immunisation in Nelson Marlborough

Registered nurses who work with the Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service help ensure that our babies and children are protected from diseases.

They work with local schools to run school-age immunisation education and delivery programmes. They also check whether children have been immunised before they start school. This occurs during a child’s ‘B4 School Check’.

The National Immunisation Schedule

The National Immunisation Schedule is the series of vaccines that are offered free to pregnant women, babies, children, adolescents and adults.

Click here to read the schedule listed on the Ministry of Health's website

The National Immunisation Register

The National Immunisation Register (NIR) is a computerised information system that has been developed to hold the immunisation details of New Zealand children. 

Click here to learn more about the NIR

 

Early childhood centre outbreak prevention

The Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service helps to reduce the likelihood of infectious disease outbreaks at childcare centres.
 

They do this by providing:

  • health assessments (charges may apply) and reports are required under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

  • general public health advice and guidelines for people planning a new centre, renovations or re-licencing a centre

  • specialist advice about drinking water, disease outbreaks and chemical hazards.

There is potential for disease transmission among children at centres because:

  • children under five years old are likely to have poorly-developed personal hygiene habits

  • there is a high level of physical contact between children

  • nappy changing is a high-risk activity

  • food may be shared

  • children tend to place items in their mouths and may contaminate those items.

Click here for more information on Education Regulations

 

Further information

Click here to visit the Immunisation Advisory Centre website for information about vaccines, diseases and making an informed decision

Click here to visit the Healthify website for information about diseases and immunisation, including fact sheets in multiple languages

Click here to visit the Kids Health NZ website for information about childhood diseases and other common conditions

 

Making an informed choice

The World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health recommend that you immunise your children. Immunisation is your choice – if you have questions or would like more information, you can:

Page last updated: 12/07/2023