12. Question No. 12—HealthDr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Associate Minister of HealthQuestion No. 12—Health12. Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she stand by all her statements around vaccination and the spread of measles?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Associate Minister of Health): Yes in the context they were given.Dr Shane Reti: When she said yesterday that tax cuts come at the expense of measles vaccines does she think it's satisfactory that some taxpayers right now are unable to be vaccinated due to a vaccine shortage? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I didn't say that.Dr Shane Reti: Further to written questions is she concerned that 20 DHB staff have contracted measles this year given expectations that public health sector staff will be vaccinated?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: Of course we're concerned and we are doing everything we can to respond to the measles outbreak. And I'd like to thank all of the hard-working clinicians who've been focused on responding to this outbreak on the ground and now we're seeing declining numbers of measles.Dr Shane Reti: When she says it is important we do everything we can to ensure the measles outbreak doesn't spread further what actions did she take in March when the national measles laboratory reported that measles was being spread in Canterbury hospitals?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I was not responsible for immunisation in March but I can say that during that period in the first half of this year more than 50 percent more vaccines were distributed compared to previous years. And in this year alone we have administered more measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines than any year when National was in Government.Dr Shane Reti: Did she say yesterday that anyone campaigning on tax cuts is basically promising that we'll run down public services in the future?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: Yes and I stand by that statement.Dr Shane Reti: Was it a missed red flag for the spread of measles when nosocomial infection was occurring in Canterbury hospitals back in March?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: What I will say is that all during the response to this outbreak we have been guided by the expert advisory group and expert clinicians. I don't think it's up to politicians to make decisions on this. It's up to politicians to support our public health system and listen to the advice of experts which is what we have done.Dr Shane Reti: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act request from the measles and rubella laboratory confirming the transmission of nosocomial infection in Canterbury hospitals.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There appears to be none. Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I seek leave to table the last 10 years of MMR events that have been extracted from the national immunisation record which show that significantly—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to ask the member to put it again without an interjection from Michael Woodhouse. Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I seek leave to table the last 10 years of MMR events or vaccines that have been delivered that has been extracted from the national immunisation record and it shows a significant increase in MMR immunisations in the last two years. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Was that Mr Bennett this time? Who was the person who made the noise? Was it Mr Bennett? Hon David Bennett: No I was gesturing. I was saying Why should they not?"SPEAKER: OK. Who was the member who was interjecting? Can I seek an assurance from the member that the information available in that document is not otherwise publicly available?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: It is my understanding that it is not.SPEAKER: I'll put the leave for that. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House."