First Canterbury Baby Joins Immunisation Register

MEDIA RELEASE

DATE: 21 November 2005

SUBJECT: First Canterbury Baby Joins National Immunisation Register

Jasper Timothy O’Loughlin, who was born at Christchurch Women’s Hospital at 1.31am today, is a history maker.

He is the first newborn baby in Canterbury to be entered on the National Immunisation Register.

This means that wherever Jasper is in New Zealand, health professionals can check the computer-based register to find out which vaccinations he has had against nine vaccine preventable infectious diseases, and which he still needs.
Health professionals, including family doctors, nurses, midwives, specialists and Well Child Providers can access the register to record vaccinations, or check if he is up to date with his vaccinations.

His mother Rachel Rumball, 33, who transferred to St George’s Hospital with her new son earlier today, said she was thrilled to discover the 11-day-early baby had made history.
A keen advocate of vaccination, she said her daughter Holly, 2 and a half years old, had received her vaccinations, and Jasper would follow suit.

All babies born in Canterbury will automatically be added to the register, which began being rolled out around the country from Counties Manukau in April.

Until now vaccinations have been recorded by a family’s doctor or in each baby’s Well Child/Tamariki Ora book, previously known as a Plunket book. But problems have arisen when families move or misplace their books.

Older Canterbury children joined the NIR when vaccinated recently against Group B meningococcal disease during the nationwide programme which began in Canterbury in June.

Information recorded on the register is: the child’s name, address, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, health number, health care providers, vaccinations and parent or guardian contact details.

ENDS

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