Waikato Hospital is getting in early to celebrate Children's Day with its paediatric patients and their families.

Children's Day, celebrated nationally on Sunday 7 March, is being brought forward to today (Friday 5 March) at Waikato Hospital.

The Ministry of Health says Waikato District Health Board should provide an immunisation leadership role in the Midland region due to its outstanding improvement towards reaching the national immunisation health target.

Waikato District Health Board frontline staff are now offering 'better help for smokers to quit' to 40 per cent of patients.

These are the latest figures from the second quarter Health Targets report released by the Ministry of Health this week, ranking Waikato fourth out of 21 DHBs.

Waikato District Health Board showed significant improvement in two of the six second quarter health target results released by the Ministry of Health today (Friday 26 February).

Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) has had a health warning issued this morning, after a sudden algal bloom was recognised there yesterday.

Funding for a dedicated volunteers recruitment officer has seen 38 people apply for volunteer work with Hauraki-Coromandel St John.

Two further lakes now have health warnings As anticipated, testing late last month has confirmed that cyanobacterial cell counts have risen in Lakes Hakanoa and Whangape.

Alzheimer's New Zealand will provide support and education for carers of older people with dementia as a result of Waikato District Health Board awarding a new contract to Alzheimer's New Zealand to provide the service.

Waikato District Health Board will acknowledge the past and look to the future at a dawn blessing ceremony next Friday (12 February).

Auckland, Jan 28 NZPA - New Zealand might still be basking in midsummer, but health officials are advising people to start booking their influenza vaccinations.