Following the significant drop in childhood immunisations during the past four years due to covid, there is now significant work to do to catch up. Committed to turning the dial, ProCare is proud to announce a new immunisation campaign to increase childhood immunisations rates, in particular Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Bindi Norwell, Group CEO at ProCare, says: “With the recent return of measles in the country, it is crucial we are getting our tamariki immunised, particularly with the MMR vaccine. This will give them the best start to life and grant parents peace of mind that their little one is protected.

“Our practices have risen to the task and are doing their best to get whānau in for their immunisations – from phoning overdue patients, giving vouchers to whānau who bring their tamariki in to be immunised, and offering flexible appointment times. They are working extremely hard to reach as many patients as possible which is just wonderful to see,” Norwell concludes.

Dr Allan Moffitt, Clinical Director at ProCare, says: “Measles is extremely contagious and can be severe for all people but particularly young children, which is why we must continue to encourage parents and whānau to get immunised when possible.

“Māori and Pacific children experience significantly higher cases of measles due to lower immunisation rates compared to other ethnic groups. Currently our 8-month Māori tamariki are sitting at 79% immunised, and our Pacific tamariki are at 81% immunised. Our target level is at least 85%, so the current immunisations rates are leaving our children vulnerable.

"We want this campaign to encourage conversation within whānau and empower them to seek out more information from their GP or nurse to make an informed decision,” concludes Dr Moffitt. 

The MMR vaccine is not just for young children. It is important for adults to find out their immunisation status from their GP and receive a free vaccination if they were born after 1969.

For details on the National Immunisation Schedule, click here https://assets.website-files.com/637315ab5c5af14ee5809c17/63fe9858a2c7ecb75597046f_Immune_Schedule_03-23.pdf