“Rates have risen from around 70% in late 2024 to around 77%. Notably, coverage for Māori children has also risen in that time from below 60% to around 75%.”
Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRHN) and Te Oranganui said the results were due to hard work despite difficult circumstances, including the cost of living, lasting effects from Covid-19, and childhood disease outbreaks.
At the start of July, a measles outbreak was detected in the Wairarapa area. It spread to Feilding with eight reported cases.
Whanganui was identified as a hotspot for the whooping cough epidemic in November 2024 with a rate of infection at 11.4 cases per 100,000 people.
“We are really concerned,” WRHN immunisation co-ordinator Sue Hina said.
She said there was some reluctance to immunisation “from Covid-19 from when the ministry put in the mandates so people think ‘don’t tell me what to do’.“
Te Oranganui chief executive Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata said it was “heartening” to see a recent increase in immunisations.
“It’s been a challenging space to get whānau to understand the importance in particular of their child immunisations since Covid times,” she said.
Hina said there had been increased focus on educating families to be able to make an informed decision on whether to immunise their children.
“That’s making sure there’s enough access for people, enough information for people, enough follow-up to those that are hesitant,” Hina said.
“People have the right to decline but we want to get to the point where the people declining can have a conversation with us.”
She said the cost of living crisis had also placed barriers for struggling families to get immunised.
“The social determinants make a big difference; if you haven’t got a house to live in or you can’t pay your rent or put food on the table, you’re less likely to be worried about whether your immunisations get done or not,” Hina said.
Walsh-Tapiata said it was important to talk to people in their communities.
“The critical point of difference in terms of our services is that we go to them.”
It was not only Te Oranganui that worked in this way to improve healthcare provision, but iwi Māori hauora providers throughout the region.
“There has been a really collective approach by the Iwi Māori Hauora providers throughout the region to address child immunisations initially and then overall immunisations,” Walsh-Tapiata said.
Meanwhile, O’Connor said more work was needed to reach the 95% national target by 2030 but the progress was promising.
“And it is down to the tireless, collective efforts of our community and primary care provider partners, supported by the Whanganui Regional Health Network.”
Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
