10528 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

10528 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter October – December 2023 to ‘Implement an immunisation and screening catch-up programme including those delivered by Māori and Pacific providers’ under section 3.3 ‘Stronger primary and community care’ within Te Whatu Ora’s Te Pae Tata: Interim New Zealand Health Plan 2022?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that during the October - December 2023 quarter, several activities were progressed to implement an immunisation and screening catch-up programme. These actions included: • Progressing with the Immunisation Taskforce recommendations. • Working to increase the number of data-sharing agreements with Māori and Pacific providers. • Cutover from the National Immunisation Register and COVID-19 Immunisation Register to the Aotearoa Immunisation Register • Launch of the national Newborn Enrolment System alongside the Whaihua immunisation portal to allow Outreach Immunisation Services (OIS), and channels receiving direct contact from consumers across immunisation services, to store information they need to deliver services. • The Immunisation Taskforce Governance Group approved the operating model and project plan for the Vaccinator Authorisation Portal to streamline authorisation processes and establish a centralised vaccinator database. • Ongoing work to enable more pharmacies to deliver a wider range of funded immunisations to a greater age range, which included work to remove Xpharm restrictions from remaining scheduled vaccines. • Breast Screening programme catch up activity included the use of the Consumer Population Identification and Registration to remind wāhine to screen, alongside the introduction of late hours, and additional events such as mana wāhine days and weekend screening. • Design of immunisation training and support services to ensure culturally focused delivery and options for online training. I am further advised that several reviews progressed in the quarter, including: • Outreach Services Review to inform contracting options and improve funding for outreach providers. • School-based Immunisation Programme Review to provide recommendations to increase immunisation uptake for rangatahi.