Taking every opportunity and making it count

Waikato District Health Board's newly employed immunisation coordinator impressed delegates at the National Paediatric Association conference in Hamilton last week with immunisation figures that speak for themselves.

Kim Hunter joined Population Health earlier this year to help Waikato DHB reach the national immunisation health target.

Mrs Hunter said "huge support" from Waikato Hospital nursing and medical staff had seen 227 children receive important immunisations in the past three months - while in Waikato Hospital.

Mrs Hunter is tasked with coordinating what can be summed up by the phrase 'opportunistic immunisation' of children presenting to, or visiting Waikato Hospital.

Prior to Mrs Hunter's appointment, staff were opportunistically immunising around 7-10 children a month.

However, the latest figures show that between 20 August and 25 November 2009 in Waikato Hospital:

• a total of 338 children were seen by the opportunistic immunisation service (as due or overdue their immunisations)
• of those, 227 were immunised (68 per cent)
• thirty-three families declined immunisation; and
• thirty-two were unable to receive immunisations for medical reasons.

"Not one of those children came to hospital for a vaccination; each one was here for something else and an opportunity was seized. It just shows what can be achieved working this way," said Mrs Hunter.

She also said despite her role as coordinator of the programme, it was a whole approach getting these children immunised, and sent a thank you message out across the hospital this week, stating:

"Our children and families coming through Waikato Hospital can be sure they are encountering an extremely dedicated and motivated team of health care professionals who are doing an awesome job at ensuring children are offered, and given, one of the most important health care services."

She said many of the children accessing the opportunistic immunisation service are the most at risk children, of which a high number have slipped through the cracks in other areas of health provision.

"I'm really pleased with how well the service is going and how receptive staff have been in supporting it. It's great that we can provide such an incredible service."

NB: A high resolution image of Kim Hunter is available upon request.

The health target

Increased immunisation

The aim for Waikato DHB region is 81% per cent of two-year-olds are fully immunised by July 2010; 90 per cent by July 2011; and 95 per cent by July 2012.
Immunisation can prevent many diseases and is a very cost-effective way of preventing health problems.
Immunisation gives protection not just for one person, but also for whole populations by reducing the amount of disease circulating in communities.