Why vaccinate?

Newborn babies are immune to many diseases because they have antibodies from their mothers. However, this immunity goes away during their first year of life. This means they need to be vaccinated against diseases they might catch.

• If an unvaccinated child is exposed to a disease germ, their body may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Before vaccines, many children died from diseases that vaccines now prevent, such as whooping cough, measles, tetanus and polio. Those same germs exist today, but because babies are protected by vaccines we don’t see these diseases nearly as often.
• Vaccinating children also helps to protect the health of our community, especially of those people who can’t be vaccinated. They include children who are too young to be vaccinated or people who can’t receive certain vaccines for medical reasons, as well as the small proportion of people who don’t respond to a particular vaccine.

Read more about childhood immunisation and older children and teenagers immunisation.

During pregnancy, it is important you are protected against infections and illnesses that can be harmful to you and your baby. Some illnesses, such as the flu, are especially dangerous for pregnant women. Some illnesses such as whooping cough are especially dangerous for newborn babies who may catch the infection from their mothers. Vaccination is an effective way to protect yourself and your baby.

• Whooping cough (pertussis) and flu vaccines are safe to be given during pregnancy and are free to pregnant women in New Zealand.
• It is recommended that all pregnant women have the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination between 28 to 38 weeks of pregnancy. You can have an influenza vaccination at any time. It is best to have a whooping cough booster and flu vaccination for every pregnancy.
• Some vaccines are best not given during pregnancy. These include the MMR, chickenpox and pneumococcal vaccinations. It is best to wait 4 weeks (1 month) after having these vaccinations before trying to get pregnant. Read more about pregnancy and immunisation.

• Having long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart, lung, spleen or kidney problems can put you at risk of getting vaccine preventable diseases such as the flu. You can benefit from vaccination.
• Similarly, if you take medicines that weaken your immune system, such as chemotherapy, you may also benefit from vaccination.
• Read more about funded vaccines for special groups. Some vaccinations are also available and recommended for special groups, but not funded.

• If you work directly with patients or handle material that could spread infection, it’s important to make sure you are up to date with recommended vaccinations such hepatitis B, flu, and pertussis vaccines. This reduces the chance of you getting or spreading vaccine-preventable diseases. Protect yourself, your patients and your family members.
• Healthcare workers include physicians, nurses, emergency medical personnel, dental professionals and students, medical and nursing students, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, hospital volunteers and administrative staff.
• Other workers may come into contact with many people in the course of their work, exposing them to risk of infections such as the flu. Employers may offer to pay for some vaccinations where there is a high risk of illness for their employees. Ask your employer if they recommend or fund particular vaccinations such as the annual flu vaccination.

• Before you travel, check with your doctor or a specialist travel doctor clinic whether any vaccinations are needed for the areas you are travelling to. Try to do this 6 to 8 weeks before you leave, as some vaccinations need to be done over a few weeks. Read more about vaccines and international travel.

• Vaccines provide important protection for gay and bisexual men. Men who have sex with men have a higher chance of getting serious diseases such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HPV.
• Getting vaccinated can help keep you, your family and your community healthy.
• If you’re a man who has sex with men, talk with your doctor about recommended vaccines that protect against flu, HPV, hepatitis A and hepatitis B.