Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:19877] 
6.  
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What reports has she received on the meningococcal B vaccine? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 There are regular updates on many aspects of the meningococcal B immunisation programme. The most recent advice relates to the safety of the group B meningococcal vaccine. The chair of the Independent Safety Monitoring Board set up by the Health Research Council and made up of international experts in epidemiology paediatrics and immunisation Professor Terry Nolan has said publicly that there are no safety concerns around the vaccine after analysing data based on the first 525000 doses delivered to 210573 children. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What is the latest report the Minister has seen on the progress of the roll-out of the $200 million meningococcal B vaccine programme nation wide? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Last week the Ministry of Health reported that the meningococcal B vaccine is now available to half of all under-20-year-olds in New Zealand and that nearly 160000 young New Zealanders have completed the three-dose vaccination programme. This has involved a huge amount of work and dedication from parents and health professionals but as programme director Dr Jane O’Hallahan said our children deserve it. The aim is to vaccinate 1.15 million New Zealanders under the age of 20. They are the people most at risk of being disabled maimed or killed by this disease. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: What practical help will the Minister provide to overworked general practitioners who totally refute her suggestion that the meningococcal vaccine roll-out will make it easier for them to administer the flu vaccine when it finally arrives 1½ months late after all her bungling? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I totally reject the comment that the vaccine was late because of my “bungling”. The member has already apologised to me personally for comments that he had made that were wrong. He may want to apologise for that one as well. As everybody knows this vaccine did not arrive on time because of a manufacturing error. I do not know of many health Ministers who do the manufacturing of vaccines. I can say to general practitioners that for the meningococcal B vaccine programme we have undertaken to employ—and district health boards have employed—a large number of nurses. It is mainly nurses who carry out the vaccination programme. 
Judy Turner 
: Is the Minister satisfied that parents have been given sufficient ongoing education about the limitations of the immunisation programme and the fact that they need to watch their children for signs of the disease given that the vaccine does not protect them from all strains and given that radio advertisements playing today do not give parents sufficient advice of this risk? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I agree with the member that we need to ensure that parents remain vigilant about all strains of meningococcal disease. Meningococcal B is a particularly nasty strain but we do also have meningococcal C in New Zealand. We are aware of that and certainly efforts are being made by our public health physicians and others to ensure that parents are mindful of the need to be careful with any of these sorts of problems and to go straight to the hospital if they detect symptoms. 
Steve Chadwick 
: Can we afford to relax our efforts to vaccinate our children against this terrible disease? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No we certainly cannot. So far this year there have been 53 cases of meningococcal disease and three deaths. Recent well-publicised cases of the disease highlight the point that this epidemic will not go away on its own. We do not know when it will strike and the vaccine is the best way to protect against this particular strain of the disease. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: I seek leave to table a document from the  
Manawatu Standard 
 entitled “Double-up a problem” which points out just how difficult the delayed roll-out of the flu vaccine is to general practitioners. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection.