Immunisation Advisory Centre

Did You Know?

• Every year, IMAC is involved in planning, promoting, and monitoring the delivery of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
• IMAC is called on to comment on social factors such as the role of social media in spreading anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

Response to outbreaks

In 2011, nearly 600 measles cases occurred in New Zealand. The World Health Organization declared measles eradicated from the country by 2017, with subsequent cases originating only from overseas arrivals. However, a 2019 outbreak, suspected to have originated from Disneyland, led to over 2,000 reported cases by November, a third requiring hospitalisation. Most cases were among unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. The outbreak peaked in September 2019, and the first week without new cases was 11–17 January 2020. IMAC director Nikki Turner released a paper analysing the outbreak's drivers. A generation born between 1982 and 2007 had low immunization rates, and vaccination records from that period are incomplete because the National Immunisation Register began only in 2005. IMAC instigated a program to identify immunization gaps and offer affected people information to fill them. Turner stated that New Zealand should offer at least one measles-containing vaccine to everyone under 50 without a clear record. In February 2020, the Ministry of Health announced NZ$23 million in funding for a combined MMR vaccine catch-up programme. When COVID-19 arrived in early 2020, with the first case on 28 February and the first fatality on 29 March, New Zealand declared a state of national emergency and entered a complete lockdown that same week. In February 2021, the Ministry of Health contracted IMAC to train staff administering COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccination rollout starting in March 2021 was the largest such program in New Zealand's history. IMAC briefed Members of Parliament on vaccine mechanisms and international data on effectiveness and side effects, advised the government on the four-stage vaccination framework, and worked with the medical profession to educate and coordinate doctors. IMAC spokespeople frequently provide media commentary on the vaccination programme's status.