Kia ora koutou,
Following the successful introduction of Phase 1 (August 2025) — establishing the Vaccination Payment Service as the national administration and payment system for eligible Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives providing antenatal immunisations — we’re sharing a brief update on Phase 2, effective 1 February 2026.
What changes from 1 February 2026?
From 1 February 2026, eligible Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives can provide funded vaccines across pregnancy and the postnatal period (including pēpi up to 12 months or whānau where this benefits perinatal-related care), in accordance with the Midwifery Council’s Expanded Practice policy.
If you intend to provide vaccinations as part of expanded practice, an additional one-off $250 + GST education payment is available after completing the IMAC Midwives Immunisation Expanded Practice e-learning course and workbook (certificate required; intent to offer expanded practice vaccinations is declared at application).
Cold chain establishment support continues to support safe delivery and storage.
What this means for your immunisation payments
Health NZ continues to contract MMPO to administer the national claiming and payment system for eligible LMC midwives who choose to provide funded immunisations. From 1 February 2026, our immunisation payment system will support claims aligned with the Phase 2 expansion of funded immunisation delivery in midwifery care.
MMPO’s role remains to provide:
- Registration and immunisation payment support (nationally consistent administration and payment)
- Immunisation education payments (where eligible) and processing of required evidence
- Immunisation cold chain set-up funding (prioritised approvals) and support with procurement pathways
What you need to do
If you’re already registered with the MMPO for the LMC Antenatal Vaccination Initiative, no further action is required — continue recording your vaccination events in the Aotearoa Immunisation Register (AIR) as usual.
If you’re considering offering immunisations under Phase 2:
- Check the College member communication and the Midwifery Council’s Expanded Practice Policy first for the detailed scope and practice requirements (including any education/competence expectations).
- Once you’re ready, recording your vaccination events in the AIR remains your pathway for receiving payments.
- If you need vaccine access or cold chain support, MMPO can help connect you into the regional/local onboarding pathway.
Important note
While MMPO administers claims and payments, local vaccine access, cold chain accreditation and service delivery pathways continue to be supported regionally through Health NZ immunisation teams.
Helpful links:
- To Register (if you haven't done so already): Click here
- Payment rates and cold chain funding information
- College Phase 2 communication
- Midwifery Council Expanded Practice policy
- Appendix A - Phase 2 Changes (effective 1 February 2026) - Summary
Ngā mihi,
The MMPO Team