PHANZ HIGHLIGHTS URGENT NEED TO STRENGTHEN IMMUNISATION EQUITY AND ACCESS
The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) has released two new public health position statements on immunisation, highlighting the importance of equity, access, and trust in vaccination programmes. Both statements emphasise the need to address systemic barriers that contribute to low immunisation coverage and inequities in vaccine uptake across Aotearoa.This mahi builds on PHANZ’s Vax Chats webinar series, with recordings now available in the Webinars section of the PHANZ website.
Measles Re-emergence: PHANZ Calls for Urgent Action
In response to the re-emergence of measles cases across Aotearoa since September 2025, the PHANZ is urging immediate action to increase childhood immunisation and accelerate MMR catch-up programmes. The organisation’s new policy position statement highlights the need for:
Targeted MMR catch-up immunisation for children, young people, and adults who have previously missed doses.
Strengthened, culturally safe routine immunisation services.
Funding and resourcing Māori, Pacific, ethnic communities, and local providers to lead community-designed solutions.
Continued national preparedness to detect, respond to, and contain measles outbreaks.
These measures aim to reduce preventable harm and address persistent health inequities.
Immunisation Rates as a Measure of Health System Performance
The PHANZ’s second policy statement calls for immunisation to be used as a guide for health system improvement, rather than as a narrow compliance target. PHANZ advocates for:
Addressing the social and systemic barriers that prevent timely access to immunisation.
Strengthening community-based, whānau-centred and culturally safe models of care.
Supporting a skilled, diverse, and well-resourced immunisation workforce.
Enabling local flexibility so communities and providers can design services that meet their needs.
Together, these position statements reinforce the PHANZ’s commitment to equitable, community-driven public health approaches and highlight the central role of immunisation in protecting whānau and communities.
Read the full PHANZ policy position statements:
The media releases supporting the release of these two policy position statements are available below.