Learning Media – Te Pou Taki Kōrero

Immunisation is a controversial subject for many parents and caregivers. The Immunise Your Children DVD delivers vital information and accurate detail in clear, simple language.

The brief

To design, develop, and produce immunisation education resources for expectant or first-time parents and caregivers wanting to know about immunisation for their baby or child. Schools and community groups could also use the resources.

The package would comprise one DVD and three VHS productions, with teachers’ notes, tailored for three audiences: Māori, Pasifika, and the general public. We also needed to revise an accompanying pamphlet and to incorporate some changes to the immunisation schedule.

Our solution

Each presentation includes the National Immunisation Schedule and covers how immunisation works, what diseases immunisation protects against, and why it’s important to be immunised. It also emphasises some shared key messages, such as:

• Immunisation protects babies and children from serious diseases.
• Vaccinations are free.
• Vaccines for babies and children are safe and effective.
• Good levels of vaccination (and resulting immunity) help to protect the whole community.
• The presentations answer some common questions, such as “Am I making the right decision for my baby?” and “What happens at a vaccination visit?”

The presentations are in English, but we varied the participants, settings, graphics, and backing tracks. This involved organising and filming scenes with a variety of families and children. To keep the presentations contemporary and engaging, we employed a mix of still shots and films at various locations, such as beaches, parks, and day-care centres, and we used a mix of voiceovers and music. Overall, these presentations are colourful and simple, with a reassuring, informative tone.

They include interviews with young parents and health professionals, who describe their experiences of immunisation. The interviewees speak in their own language (literally in some cases) and are people the audience can identify with. They help deliver the message in an accessible, authentic way. We carefully pre-tested this package with the target audiences, including professionals and end-users in our testing groups.

The Ministry of Health granted permission to Med TV to use the DVD in waiting rooms. Med TV is a narrow cast network that streams health promotion and educational material into medical waiting rooms at no cost to the medical centre.

Since the resources were first published in 2008, the DVD (incorporating all three presentations to the three audience groups) has been reprinted three times – making a total of 5000 copies – including a recent reprint of 2000 copies for Counties Manukau DHB.