Southern 15-30 year olds asked to upload paper vaccination records

As part of the campaign encouraging people aged 15-30 to be immunised for measles (MMR), Southern DHB is going the extra mile asking people in this age group to send in their paper records so they can be recorded digitally on the National Immunisation Register.

Southern DHB’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Susan Jack says while people these days expect medical records to be digital, New Zealand’s National Immunisation Register (NIR) wasn’t developed until the mid-2000s.

“Southern childhood immunisation records were added to NIR from 2006 onwards, so anyone born before that date is likely to have important paper records at home, in their Plunket/Well Child Tamariki Ora book.

“Southern DHB invites 15-30 year olds to find their paper records, photograph and upload them using an electronic form on the Southern Health website at www.southernhealth.nz/southernmeasles/uploadrecords

“Staff will enter this information into NIR so there is a central, digital record that be accessed by health care providers. It will allow people to know what they have been immunised for and what vaccinations they still need,” she says.

People in the age group who were born outside New Zealand are also being asked to send in their paper immunisation records, so they can be included on NIR too.

Anyone aged 15-30 who has not been immunised for measles (MMR) should contact their GP to arrange a FREE vaccination. Vaccinations are also available at 20 participating pharmacies in Southern. The list of pharmacies can be found at www.southernhealth.nz/SouthernMeasles

*Note: Pregnant women cannot have the measles MMR vaccine.

Photo caption: Eirwen Mitchell and daughter Samantha Tulett hunt out old paper vaccination records to upload.

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