Plunket launches childhood vaccinations at Northland clinic

Childhood immunisations are now being offered at the Whānau Āwhina Plunket site in Whāngarei, and other regions are planned to provide the service by mid-2026.

National Public Health Service national director Nick Chamberlain said it’s a positive step to improve children's vaccination rates for preventable illnesses.

“This is an exciting day for Whāngarei and will mean it’s more accessible for whānau and caregivers to get their babies and children immunised if they can’t access general practice or aren’t enrolled.

“We know immunisation coverage is not where we want it to be, and this initiative will help broaden the critical role Whānau Āwhina Plunket already has in our communities.”

Adriana Stolwerk, a newly trained immunisation nurse at the Morningside clinic, says there’s been a great response.

“Immunisation can be a really hard thing for families to do, they can be quite scary sometimes, so I think that trust really helps.

“One of our mums really liked the fact that she knew us and that it was really comfortable for her to come into the clinic. She'd been there before, just that continuity of care, they know us, they trust us.”

Stolwerk, who has Sāmoan heritage, says the best thing about the role was connecting and building relationships with families from when a baby is born to age five, and being able to offer vaccinations as another option for families.

“Especially up in Whangarei where we are, it can be so hard to engage with our GP services. They're so busy at the moment, so I think it's really important for us to be able to get in there to offer this.”

Adriana Stolwerk is one of the newly trained immunisation nurses at Plunket Morningside. Photo/Supplied

In late November, Sāmoa declared a whooping cough outbreak, and almost a quarter of the confirmed cases had incomplete vaccination.

In the year to September 2024, the percentage of 24-month-old babies who were fully immunised was 76.3 per cent, a drop of 4,260, or 6.7 per cent.

Whānau Āwhina Plunket chief executive Fiona Kingsfore says they support the Government’s target of 95 per cent immunisation for tamariki aged up to two years old by 2030.

“In our mahi, we see first-hand the high toll of preventable illnesses such as whooping cough and measles take on the youngest and most vulnerable members of our communities.

“This partnership with Health New Zealand is a fantastic opportunity for Plunket nurses to upskill and provide this service in areas where it is most needed.

“We are looking forward to seeing how this pilot can both support whānau and help relieve pressure on the health system.”