Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16221] 
5.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: When was she informed of the heightened concern among the New Zealand public regarding meningococcal disease and is she confident that the vaccine for meningococcal disease now being prescribed by the Ministry of Health is safe? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 I became aware of the epidemic in the 1990s. The disease rates had doubled from 1991 to 1992 and again from 1994 to 1995. By that time it was obvious that the disease had reached epidemic proportions. Yes I am confident that the vaccine is safe. That confidence is based on the independent safety monitoring board’s report on the vaccine released on 15 October which found there were no issues of concern regarding the vaccine’s safety. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: On the question of safety of this vaccine is it not a fact that 80 percent of trial “victims” had a reaction to the vaccine and that no placebo tests were done—without which there is no credibility in any drug trial? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The clinical trials carried out on this test were up to international standards. There is no doubt about that. The reactions from the vaccine have all been predicted. No reactions that have been reported to the reaction centre are outside what was expected. 
Nanaia Mahuta 
: Has the Minister seen any reports claiming that the epidemic has peaked and that there is no longer any need for a vaccine; if so what is her response to that claim? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes I am aware and a number of people have claimed this but it is not a view I share. There were around 50 confirmed or suspected cases in 1990 before the epidemic began; today there are over 500. We would have to wonder at people who believe it has finished. At this stage I am certainly not convinced and neither are the people responsible for the roll-out of this vaccine. 
Judith Collins 
: Does she believe that the efforts of the Northland District Health Board to stop general practitioners displaying a vaccine poster because it had a slightly cropped picture of a woman’s head were correct; if so why? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is not a matter of whether I think it is correct. There are— 
Judith Collins 
: Don’t you have an opinion? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Well if the member would like to wait for me to finish the answer before she starts screeching I will give it to her. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I never heard you say a thing. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I heard an interjection. I heard a reply—a response to the interjection. The response went a little far. If a person interjects then the Minister can reply to it. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I withdraw and apologise. It is not for me to decide which poster will be used. There are a number of posters that can be used and I do not mind which one they use. I am more interested in getting maximum coverage for the immunisation programme. However I have to agree with my colleague Dover Samuels who said: “There is not need to do a haka over the poster”. 
Metiria Turei 
: Why did the Minister say in July of this year that the meningococcal epidemic “has shown no signs of abating” when answers to written questions show that the number of meningococcal cases has been declining since 2001 and that as of week 38 of this year there has been a 73 percent decrease in the number of deaths compared to 2001? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The member will be aware from the answers to that question—and she was also provided with this graph which shows it—that we peaked at the same amount in 1997 as we did in 2001. It dropped down and then spiked up again. To say that we are not going to continue that trend means that she knows a lot more than the experts. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree with the comments of the Ministry of Health Meningococcal Vaccine Strategy Director Dr Jane O’Hallahan that: “Amateur interpretation of complex scientific data is dangerous.” and that people in the public eye and media should not resort to emotive claims which could result in vulnerable children missing out on this much-needed vaccine? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Again on the question of this vaccine’s safety why is the ministry referring to the extensive trials conducted in Norway where the parent vaccine similar to MeNZB was trialled which was tested on 180000 adolescents yet never refers to the fact that the Norwegian Government decided against the use of this vaccine after research concluded that it was not effective enough to justify a national campaign; why did that happen? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Norway unfortunately had the experience of suffering meningococcal-B for 25 years. When the Norwegian Government trialled a vaccine on 180000 people with 360000 doses it was in the 19th year of that epidemic. A decision was taken by then based on the evidence they had that it did not stack up in terms of cost-benefit so they did not continue with it. If we have had it for 13 years on the basis of what happened in Norway we would need to have another 10 years of this epidemic with all of the consequences that come from it including 220 deaths to date and over 5400 New Zealanders affected. 
Judith Collins 
: I seek leave of the House to table an email from the Northland District Health Board instructing general practitioners not to display the poster because it might be considered “culturally unsafe”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I seek leave to table a press release from Mr Heatley wanting to have the vaccine in Northland as fast as possible. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House 
Judith Collins 
: I seek leave to table a copy of the so-called culturally unsafe poster. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table the poster. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table a 7 October 2004 press statement from the UK in respect of Chiron’s manufacturing site licence suspension in the UK. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House