In the year and a half or so since the first people in China were sickened by an illness later named Covid-19, the world has changed dramatically. Now, however, some countries are beginning to return to something approaching normal.

American grandparents are hugging their grandchildren again. People in the UK are dining in restaurants again. The easing of restrictions in these countries has been achieved largely through vaccination.

Though life in New Zealand may feel relatively normal under Level One, its borders remain tightly controlled. To ease border restrictions, New Zealand too must undertake the mammoth task of vaccinating most of its population.

The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), a UniServices business unit, is playing a part in New Zealand’s vaccination roll-out as well as that of the Pacific Islands.

To support New Zealand’s largest-ever vaccination campaign, it is heavily involved in training the large workforce required.

To enable the safe vaccination of people across the country, New Zealand not only needs to ensure active vaccinators know how to handle a new type of vaccine with specialised storage requirements, it needs to dramatically grow its vaccinator workforce. IMAC is the only provider contracted to develop and deliver the training required to do that.

In addition to providing training for active vaccinators to deliver the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which requires ultracold storage, IMAC developed a course for healthcare professionals who do not normally administer vaccines. People eligible to take the provisional vaccinator course include student nurses and pharmacists in their final years of study, fourth-year medical students, midwives, paramedics, physiotherapists and other health professionals. 

To further add to the vaccine delivery workforce, IMAC is developing a new training programme for a supporting workforce that will work alongside trained vaccinators. Pilot training, attended by predominantly healthcare support workers, has already been held and the full programme is scheduled to be available in June. An aim is to diversify the vaccination workforce, with a focus on increasing the number of Māori and Pacific people on vaccination teams.

Another way IMAC is responding to the vaccine rollout is through information. It has developed a new website, covid.immune.org.nz, with information for vaccinators, would-be vaccinators, allied healthcare professionals and members of the public seeking information about Covid vaccination.

IMAC staff members are also working to support the vaccination rollout in the Pacific Islands. Support is determined by the country’s specific needs and may include training the workforce, help with vaccine cold chain management and setting up of vaccination clinics.