16 October 2025
It was a day of celebration in Ōtepoti last week as our Dunedin team held their very first immunisation clinic, marking a major milestone for Plunket that coincided with the first anniversary of the Dunedin Hub.
Clinical Leader Marlene Du Toit-Parks said it was an amazing day of learning, collaboration and community.
“All the hard mahi and planning have paid off to create a lovely day of connection, team building and learning. Whānau and tamariki had nothing but positive feedback, and our staff are so proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
Whānau spoke about how much they valued being able to access immunisations in a calm, family-friendly environment they already knew and trusted. One māmā said it was “really great to have Isabella’s immunisations done in such a private, open and welcoming space,” and that the flexible appointment times helped her fit the visit around work.
The Dunedin clinic also supported baby Liam and his whānau. After facing significant social, financial and housing challenges, they shared their gratitude for the compassionate and coordinated care they received from the Plunket team, a trusting relationship that helped them feel ready and supported to bring Liam in for his overdue immunisations.
The clinic will continue to see growth, with the Immunisation Outreach Team supporting the training and supervision of three more nurses who are on track to become authorised vaccinators in the next two months.
Marlene acknowledged the collective effort behind the launch.
“None of this would have been possible without the incredible support from our clinical and community teams, Bernadette Heaphy, and our Senior Leadership Team. This service is not only helping to protect pēpi and tamariki, it’s also growing our people, our skills, and our impact across the community.”
The Dunedin immunisation clinic will run from the Dunedin Hub and is already receiving interest from local whānau. The team looks forward to welcoming more families in the weeks ahead.
Image caption: Pēpi Liam, held by mama (Laila), getting first vaccinations
Header image caption: (back row left to right) Josie Gardner, Kama Shimoni, Kelly Morrissey, Marlene Du Toit-Parks, Isabella Bancks, Lucy Dunning, Charlotte Adank. (Front row left to right) Erin Mahoney, Lisa Dorward, Chelsea Rood.
Image on home page: Isabelle post vaccination with mum Bianca, and registered nurses Kelly Morrissey and Lucy Dunning.