4. LESLEY SOPER (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Why has the Government ended the meningococcal B mass immunisation campaign?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
The answer is simple: there are now fewer cases of meningococcal B disease. At its peak there were 370 cases per year. Last year that had reduced to just 47. As a result of this dramatic reduction, expert clinical advice was that there was no longer a need for a mass immunisation campaign. Meningococcal B disease is insidious: it can kill, maim, and leave permanently damaged those who contract it. The meningococcal campaign is an example of a health service reacting to, and successfully taking action on, a serious matter.
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Yes. There is clear evidence that the vaccination campaign reduced and curtailed the meningococcal B epidemic. That means dozens of New Zealand children now have limbs and have escaped brain damage, who would not have if the battle had not been fought and won. To quote expert Dr Nikki Turner: “The disease was only very slowing waning when the vaccine was introduced. If we’d not used the vaccine, we would have had a lot more children with the disease while we were waiting for the rates of infection to drop.”
Sue KedgleyWill the Minister commit himself to releasing all of the official data on the meningococcal vaccine and its implementation, so that we can get beyond the spin and allow independent researchers to assess whether it was effective, why 46 fully immunised children developed the disease and some died, why the number of deaths from meningitis has not declined since the vaccine was rolled out, whether it was wise to target a million children rather than at-risk groups, and also how many serious adverse effects have occurred as a result of the vaccine?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
To take the first of those questions, there is, I understand, a comprehensive peer-reviewed study shortly to be released on the campaign, and it does show that the estimated disease rate was 3.7 times higher in the unvaccinated group than in the vaccinated group, and that the vaccine had an overall effectiveness rate of some 73 percent.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer, but the question asked whether he would commit himself to releasing all of the official data.
Madam SPEAKER