Cardiff Met staff member recognised with national Vaccination Saves Lives award

Cardiff Metropolitan University is celebrating the national recognition of one of its staff members for her outstanding contribution to student vaccination services across Wales.

Hannah Kinasz, Business Support Coordinator within the Cardiff Schools of Sport and Health Sciences and Education & Social Policy, has been named the 2026 Vaccination Saves Lives (VSL) Champion Award winner by Public Health Wales.

The award recognises individuals who make an exceptional impact in planning or delivering vaccination services. Hannah received her award at the Welsh Immunisation Conference 2026.

Hannah said: "I'm honoured to be nominated and receive the Public Health Wales Vaccines Saves Lives Champion Award 2026.

“It's incredibly rewarding to see the work supporting students' vaccination requirements for NHS funded programme recognised at a national level.  For Cardiff Met, this reflects our commitment to safeguard the health and wellbeing of students, patients and the wider healthcare community and shows what can be achieved when teams collaborate to make vital health services accessible and effective."

Hannah oversees occupational health and vaccination processes for students on health-commissioned programmes, where immunisation is a requirement before undertaking clinical placements. Recognising the challenges many students face when making health decisions independently for the first time, she led a data-driven initiative to improve engagement and access to vaccination services.

By analysing clinical data, Hannah identified a high rate of missed appointments, which risked delaying placements and increasing administrative pressures. In response, she collaborated with programme directors and occupational health providers to identify barriers and implement targeted solutions.

Her approach included introducing occupational health-led education sessions during induction, giving students early access to clear, evidence-based information and a supportive environment in which to ask questions. She also scheduled vaccination clinics alongside existing teaching sessions, making them more convenient for students juggling academic and personal commitments.

Hannah ensured that all communications remained accurate and aligned with national guidance, including updates to Hepatitis B vaccination protocols, while maintaining close collaboration with admissions and clinical teams.

These initiatives have led to a significant reduction in missed appointments, with ‘did not attend’ rates dropping from 19.92% to 10.82% over 12 months. The improvements have streamlined placements, reduced delays and made vaccination services more accessible and equitable for students.

Through her collaborative, student-focused approach, Hannah has made a measurable impact, supporting students to make informed health decisions while strengthening vaccination delivery across the Cardiff Met community.

This recognition highlights the impact of collaborative, evidence-based approaches to improving vaccination uptake and reducing inequalities across diverse student populations.