The Public Health Agency, within the Ministry of Health, leads and coordinates immunisation policy advice and monitoring for the health system and Government. We work closely with Health New Zealand, Pharmac and the Ministry for Disabled People to improve immunisation services and initiatives.
The Agency manages New Zealand’s immunisation governance structure, intended to provide a central point of coordination across the system for immunisation. The immunisation governance structure consists of the:
- Immunisation Oversight Board, chaired by Deputy Director-General of the Public Health Agency, is responsible for strategic governance and is the principal point of contact between Ministers and officials on immunisation issues.
- Immunisation Outcomes Collective exercises operational governance over the immunisation system, co-ordinates health agency advice to Pharmac, and ensures whānau voice is present in decision-making.
National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group
The Agency hosts the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG). NITAG provides the Immunisation Oversight Board, the Immunisation Outcomes Collective, and the broader health system with medical, scientific, and public health advice on the use of preventive vaccines and related agents in humans.
The Group’s members are leading experts in immunisations, the immunisation system, and representatives from multidisciplinary backgrounds and public health.
| Dr Mamaeroa David (Chair) | General Practitioner, Senior Māori Clinical Advisor, Immunisation Advisory Centre |
| Dr Amber Young (Vice-Chair) | Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Otago |
| Dr Emma Best | Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, University of Auckland |
| Dr Joanna Kirman | Associate Professor, University of Otago |
| Dr Sean Hanna | Assistant Director – Rural Medical Immersion Programme, University of Otago |
| Prof David Murdoch | Distinguished Professor at Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago |
| Dr Helen Petousis-Harris | Associate Professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the School of Population Health, Co-Director of the Global Vaccine Data Network |
| Prof Michael Tatley | Professor Emeritus and Former Director of New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre, University of Otago |
| Prof Nikki Turner | Medical Director, Immunisation Advisory Centre |
The Strategic Approach to Immunisation in New Zealand 2025–2030
As part of its immunisation leadership role, the Public Health Agency has published the Strategic Approach to Immunisation in New Zealand 2025–2030.
The Strategic Approach sets an overarching vision for the immunisation system while focusing on collective action and partnerships. It helps establish a shared understanding of our immunisation objectives, align work across the system, and drive collective action towards a common goal. This document is endorsed by the Immunisation Oversight Board who will use this to inform their strategic work programme.
The Strategic Approach can be found at Strategic Approach to Immunisation in New Zealand 2025–2030.
