Waikato MMR vaccination campaign starts to show results as 350 children receive doses

The Waikato DHB's MMR and flu immunisation campaign is showing results. Photo / Andrew Bonallack

Waikato District Health Board says its campaign to have the region's three to five-year-olds vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is starting to show results, as nearly 350 children received their jab in the first three weeks.

Of those, 173 doses have been administered to children whose caregivers received a call, email or text from the DHB, but there are still about 6500 children aged three to five who don't have their second dose yet.

Meanwhile, the latest Ministry of Health (MoH) immunisation report shows an equity gap in vaccinations of Māori and Pasifika communities, which the DHB is working to address through mobile community vaccination clinics.

The DHB's campaign focuses on three to five-year-olds who have missed their second MMR dose owing to a change in the immunisation schedule. The second dose was previously due at four years old, but it is now due at 15 months.

Many parents won't know of the schedule change, as some Well Child Tamariki Ora My Health Books will still have the second MMR dose listed as due at four years of age. Parents of children born since October 2020 have the correct schedules.

Additionally, immunisation rates have dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic, as parents were unable to get their children aged 15 months and older immunised thanks to lockdowns or isolations.

Immunisation records for the Waikato DHB area show that there are more than 9700 three to five-year-olds who are fully vaccinated for MMR.

However, there are about 6500 children aged three to five who've missed their second MMR dose, and about 1400 children the same age who've missed both MMR vaccinations.

Caregivers of about 900 children who've missed both MMR doses have declined the vaccination.

The MoH immunisation report shows that only 58 per cent of Māori and 69 per cent of Pasifika are fully immunised against MMR at 24 months, compared to 85 per cent overall.

Waikato DHB Executive Director for Māori, Equity and Health Improvement Waikato Riki Nia Nia says the equity gap for Māori and Pacific people "is a worry", as those communities will be more impacted if there is an outbreak of measles, mumps or rubella.

"Many Māori whānau don't have access to primary care, with a lower rate of Māori babies enrolled at a GP practice making it more difficult to access immunisation."

The DHB is now increasing the number of mobile community vaccination clinics currently running throughout the Waikato in order to reach more Māori and Pacific people, including those living in rural areas.

The clinics aim to make it easier for parents to pop into a clinic closer to home and to take the pressure off primary care services, since children under three need to be vaccinated by a nurse who is also a childhood immuniser.

The clinics offer free flu vaccinations for those eligible, free MMR immunisations for children aged over three, as well as Covid-19 vaccinations for those aged five years and over.

People can simply drop into these sites without a booking, as the clinical vaccinators can check on their children's immunisation status from the clinics.

The DHB is working alongside Kaupapa Māori Health Providers to also run clinics at sports and cultural events such as Matariki where it will be at events in Hamilton, Huntly, Tokoroa, Raglan, Te Kuiti, Thames and Taumarunui.