Community health
HEALTH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER (20 Feb 2024)
Community Oral Health Service
The Community Oral Health Service remain short staffed in 2024. Children will be prioritised – with
those school age tamariki most overdue seen first, along with our preschool tamariki.
We are also focused on examining all year 8 Students prior to their leaving our service and accessing
free Adolescent Services usually with their family Dentist.
A relief of pain service is always accessible (Monday – Friday)– please ph 027 273 6731. If parents
have any clinical concerns, they are most welcome to call their usual clinic or 027 273 6731. These
tamariki are triaged and if necessary, offered a consultation appointment.
The Dental Mobiles will continue their circuits seeing tamariki most at risk of poor oral health
outcomes. These Dental Therapists also see preschool and relief of pain tamariki, thank you to the
schools they are located at for supporting this mahi.
Some of our Dental Hubs will be closed for periods during the year to enable staff to be on location
in the Dental Mobiles.
We do have tamariki deemed low risk who have an 18-month recall schedule, this is in line with
Ministry of Health guidance. As such tamariki at a particular school won’t necessarily be seen as a
‘group’ as they may have in the past, but will be recalled as prioritised/due.
Community pharmacy minor ailments service to schools
As schools go back and the risk of infectious minor conditions increase, we are hoping to target high
dep schools with messaging.
The service means that patients can receive a free consult on some minor health conditions:
• Pain and fever in children.
• Dehydration or diarrhoea from gastrointestinal illnesses.
• Eye inflammation and infections.
• Scabies.
• Headlice.
• Eczema/Dermatitis.
• Minor skin infections.
If needed, some medications for certain minor health conditions will be free for:
• Children under 14 years of age, and whānau members of a child with similar symptoms.
For example, if the pharmacist determines your child is needing treatment for scabies they may
provide advice and medication for everyone in the household.
• Māori or Pacific people.
• Community Service Card (CSC) holders.
• Those who have been physically isolated due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
• Those who live in very rural areas (check with your pharmacist).
All pharmacies in Hawke’s Bay are participating in this service.
public health nurse service
If your child has any health concerns or medical conditions that you would like free support or advice with please contact the Public Health Nurse.
Year 7 and 8 immunisations at school
When your child is in year 7 and 8 they’re eligible for important free immunisations. Going through school is the easiest way to get your child immunised, but you can choose to go to your doctor instead.
What are the immunisations for?
The Tdap vaccine is offered as one injection in Year 7 (and is also known as Boostrix). The Tdap vaccine provides protection against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis (whooping cough). Protection against tetanus and diphtheria is long-lasting. Protection against whooping cough lasts about five years.
The HPV vaccine is offered in Year 8. This protects against 9 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) responsible for cervical cancer and some other cancers, as well as genital warts. Protection is longlasting. The HPV vaccine is given as 2 injections, spaced out over at least 6 months.
Your child will receive a consent form early in the new school year for you to read, sign and return to school before they are immunised. Parents are asked to complete this whether or not they consent to the vaccination and return it to school.
For more information please contact the Public Health Nurse or see the below website:
https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/wellbeing/year-7-and-8-immunisations/
Debbie Williams
Public Health Nurse
Whanau & Communities Group | Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay
Tamatea Intermediate Community Dental Clinic
Phone 06 873 4864
Fax 06 844 5803
Community Oral Health Services COHS provides free school-based clinics for 0-13 year olds, as well as all the adolescents that attend Wairoa College up to the age of 18. Early pre-school enrolment in COHS helps parents prevent their children having poor dental health.
If you have recently relocated to Hawke’s Bay and are wanting to enrol your child/children into the COHS please contact the service administrator by calling
0800 Talk Teeth (0800 825 583)
who will arrange for the necessary paperwork to be forwarded to you to give consent.