Lakes District Health Board says its child immunisation programmes has greatly reduced the numbers of very sick babies with vaccine-related preventable illnesses.
In the first three months of 2015, 96 per cent of all Lakes DHB babies were fully vaccinated by the age of eight months. The Government's target is 95 per cent.
Community paediatrician Dr Johan Morreau said the success of the immunisation programme was evident, with fewer sick, sometimes very, very sick babies and children admitted to hospital with preventable illnesses such as: meningitis (brain infections), pneumonia, measles and mumps, septicaemia (serious life threatening blood infections), than was the case 10 or 20 years ago.
There will also be far fewer life long liver damage issues from Hepatitis B, cervical cancer in young women will reduce significantly, "the list goes on!"
He applauded the focus in recent years on child immunisation, saying the success of the Health Target was one of the most important child health interventions the health sector had been able to implement.
Child health providers across the Lakes district have worked together, with a strong focus on team work to ensure all pregnant women, and families have the correct information about immunisation, he said.
Dr Morreau said the improvements in terms of systems and the work by well child health providers and primary care-general practice to engage with families about immunisation had seen health professionals taking every opportunity to provide helpful information, to answer any queries that families may have and have the babies and children immunised.
"It is our role to provide the best possible care and make it as easy as possible for families to have their children immunised. This has all helped us reach the high rate of immunisation. Most importantly children are less likely to die or be damaged by illnesses that are preventable," said Dr Morreau.
In 2009 when the government introduced the immunisation Health Target Lakes DHB had just 65 per cent of two-year-olds fully immunised. The target changed in 2012 to 95 per cent of all eight-month-olds fully immunised and again Lakes population did not have a good coverage, with only 76 per cent of its Maori children fully immunised.
Dr Morreau said those rates helped drive conversations about immunisation and ensured that all children experienced the same access and levels of coverage. He said Lakes DHB was proud that Maori children now had the same levels of immunisation as non-Maori.
National Immunisation Week runs from April 20 to 24, and this year the New Zealand campaign's theme is "On-time immunisation throughout the lifespan to prevent whooping cough", which is the current important need.
"Pregnant women receiving their free whooping cough immunisation will also make a big difference to this. None of us want to have to see very sick young babies with this dreadful and preventable disease," Dr Morreau said.
Lakes DHB wanted to say a big thank you to everyone working in the health sector who contributed to getting the immunisation message out, and acted upon.
Portfolio manager for child and maternal health at Lakes DHB, Pip King, said it was important to thank families as well, and recognise the efforts they went to in order to ensure their children were protected from vaccine preventable and related illnesses.
Families with questions around immunisation are encouraged to talk to their doctor or practice nurse, or to call the Immunisation Advisory Centre free helpline 0800 466 863.
