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| Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) |
| Caption | Logo of the Immunisation Advisory Centre |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Region served | New Zealand |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | University of Auckland |
Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) is a New Zealand-based advisory unit that provides evidence-based guidance on vaccination policy, clinical practice, and immunisation education. Established as a specialised centre within the University of Auckland, IMAC works with national and international bodies to translate vaccine science into operational programmes and clinician resources. IMAC interacts with diverse stakeholders across public health, clinical practice, and research to support immunisation delivery and surveillance.
IMAC was founded amid evolving immunisation policy debates in the late 1990s and early 2000s, aligning with institutional priorities at the University of Auckland, Auckland City Hospital, and regional health networks such as Waitemata District Health Board and Auckland District Health Board. Early collaborations connected IMAC with national authorities including the Ministry of Health (New Zealand), as well as with international agencies like the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. Major events shaping IMAC’s development include national immunisation programme expansions, the introduction of novel vaccines such as the Human papillomavirus vaccine and the rollout of pandemic responses informed by lessons from the 2009 swine flu pandemic and later the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time IMAC established formal links with research groups at the Liggins Institute, clinical networks at Auckland City Hospital, and public health units across regions such as Canterbury District Health Board and Capital and Coast District Health Board.
IMAC’s mission emphasizes evidence synthesis, clinical guidance, and workforce development in immunisation, aligning with academic governance at the University of Auckland and accountability to national policy settings like the National Immunisation Schedule (New Zealand). Governance structures include academic leadership, clinical advisory committees, and consultation with statutory advisory bodies such as the Immunisation Advisory Centre Advisory Committee and the Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority informally through interagency engagement. Strategic alignment occurs with entities including the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC), and professional colleges such as the Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners.
IMAC delivers a suite of services across immunisation practice and programme support. Clinical resources and decision tools are produced for clinicians at points of care linked to institutions like Middlemore Hospital and community providers such as Plunket. Public-facing programmes include patient information targeted at caregivers informed by vaccine introductions like the Rotavirus vaccine and booster schedules tied to school-based delivery models exemplified by partnerships with New Zealand School Nurses Association. IMAC provides operational support for mass vaccination events similar to campaigns led by Auckland Regional Public Health Service and logistics guidance used during the COVID-19 vaccination programme (New Zealand). The centre also offers helpline services, vaccine cold chain advice referencing standards used by National Immunisation Programme (New Zealand), and immunisation audit tools deployed across primary care networks.
IMAC produces evidence syntheses, surveillance analyses, and clinical guidance papers that intersect with vaccine efficacy studies conducted at institutions like the University of Otago and collaborative trials with groups such as the The Collaborative Centre for Paediatric Respiratory Medicine. Publications and technical reports address vaccine safety monitoring approaches used by the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) and interpret immunogenicity findings from studies of vaccines like influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines. IMAC authors guidance documents that inform immunisation policy deliberations at forums such as the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and contributes to peer-reviewed literature appearing in journals that publish vaccine research and public health studies.
Education is a core IMAC function, delivering continuing professional development for clinicians affiliated with bodies such as the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and training modules used by nursing groups including the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. Curriculum and workshops cover topics ranging from vaccine contraindications cited in the Green Book (United Kingdom) style resources to practical skills for cold chain management relevant to programmes run by World Health Organization regional offices. IMAC collaborates with university teaching units at the University of Auckland and postgraduate programmes linked to the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences to incorporate immunisation competencies into medical and nursing education.
IMAC’s partnerships span domestic agencies such as the Ministry of Health (New Zealand), regional public health services like Auckland Regional Public Health Service, and international partners including the World Health Organization and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. These collaborations support vaccine uptake initiatives, equity-focused outreach with Māori and Pacific health providers including Te Toka Tumai Auckland District Health Board partnerships, and evaluation of programme effectiveness during campaigns comparable to the Measles outbreak responses seen in the Pacific region. IMAC data analyses inform surveillance reported to bodies such as the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).
IMAC’s funding model combines university funding from the University of Auckland with contracts and grants from agencies such as the Ministry of Health (New Zealand), philanthropic grants, and project-specific research funding from national agencies like the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Resource allocation supports staff skilled in epidemiology, clinical medicine, and health communication, enabling service delivery to providers across networks including primary care clinics, hospital immunisation services like Waikato Hospital, and community health organisations such as Plunket.