Vax laws in New Zealand?

[SunshineJ]

DH and I would love to explore the option of moving to NZ some day (hopefully sooner than later!). I've been looking at the NZ website and haven't really been able to find the information I'm looking for. Does anyone know what, if any, vaccinations are required for children in that country? Thanks!

[AislinCarys]

None! Though they try to push it as much as they can. An you don't need to be vaxed to attend school or preschool or daycare, you just need your immunization certificate signed by a dr or nurse or something - this is just so they will know which of the kids aren't vaccinated in the event of an outbreak of something.

They have national immunization register, when you give birth your details get sent there (mum's name, date of birth, sex of child, place of birth, home address and number). Then they star harassing you, sending letters and later calling you, telling you how important it is that your child is on their register. Don't give them any info!!! Any info they have, they are legally allowed to keep! You have a right to have your child taken off the register. When I asked them over the phone to do this, they kept trying to get me to tell them DD's name, and kept asking if she had had any vaxes. I kept repeating that I did not want my child in their register. If I had said no, they would be entitled to put that info into the register, before taken your child off it. In other world, your child will still be on the register, with some note saying parents have requested to keep child off it.

Just say no when doctors or nurses push it. You are entitled to it.

Please feel welcome to PM me if you have any other questions.

[SunshineJ]

Thank you so much! With all the regulation in the US I couldn't believe that I wasn't finding the info simply because there aren't any requirements! LOL! Makes NZ look even better....now it's just finding a way to get there!

Thanks again,
K.

[an_domhan]

Originally Posted by AislinCarys

None! Though they try to push it as much as they can. An you don't need to be vaxed to attend school or preschool or daycare, you just need your immunization certificate signed by a dr or nurse or something - this is just so they will know which of the kids aren't vaccinated in the event of an outbreak of something.

They have national immunization register, when you give birth your details get sent there (mum's name, date of birth, sex of child, place of birth, home address and number). Then they star harassing you, sending letters and later calling you, telling you how important it is that your child is on their register. Don't give them any info!!! Any info they have, they are legally allowed to keep! You have a right to have your child taken off the register. When I asked them over the phone to do this, they kept trying to get me to tell them DD's name, and kept asking if she had had any vaxes. I kept repeating that I did not want my child in their register. If I had said no, they would be entitled to put that info into the register, before taken your child off it. In other world, your child will still be on the register, with some note saying parents have requested to keep child off it.

Just say no when doctors or nurses push it. You are entitled to it.

Sounds like I need to move there. Most, if not all, states in the US keep an immunization registry, that is actually an opt-out system and many people don't even know it exists. Some states are quite active in having opt-in language and have fairly strong grass roots organisations that have literally dedicated all their time to the issue of informed consent. As they say, not making your rights known, essentially, waives them. Didn't used to be that way, and will take quite a bit to undo. Not in my lifetime.