New Zealand: Meningitis Vaccination Shows Little Effect
According to New Zealand Ministry of Health figures just released, five people have died from the New Zealand B strain of meningitis (MeNZB), in this last month of July, according to a report from Ron Law and Barbara Sumner Burstyn.
There has been a spike in deaths last month despite a nation-wide vaccination program promoted by the NZ health authorities. But the number of cases overall has been on a steady, natural decline since 2002. The vaccine campaign made little difference, neither accelerating nor halting the decline. Most of the decline has occurred before the start of the vaccination campaign.
(see full size)Graphic of MeNZB cases, deaths and vaccinations
"The MeNZB vaccine has made no significant impact on cases of meningococcal disease which, despite July being the highest monthly total since the beginning of the MeNZB campaign, has continued a natural decline that began in 2002," says Ron Law, a New Zealand Risk and Policy Analyst.
The decline in cases since the peak in 2001 has been 73 per cent, 50 per cent of that occurring before the start of the vaccination campaign.
Law warns that people should not be complacent because their children have been vaccinated. The Ministry of Health, he says, acknowledges that 19 children that received all three shots and should be protected as fully vaccinated, have developed the MeNZB strain of the disease. But the New Zealand Ministry has not made public how many vaccinated children have developed other strains of meningitis and how many died from those.
Background on the New Zealand meningitis vaccine campaign:
See also:New Zealand Herald: Meningitis toll highest in years
Meningitis killed five children last month, prompting fears the $220 million Government vaccination campaign against the MeNZB epidemic strain has failed to deliver as promised.Another MeNZB Fully Vaccinated Child Dies
New Zealand: Novartis Vaccines Enters The MeNZB Debate
Novartis Vaccines, successor to Chiron Corp., which recycled a failed Norwegian meningitis vaccine in New Zealand, has now stated that it will drop the MeNZB vaccine in New Zealand, to replace it with a new version. Novartis has challenged researchers Ron Law and Barbara Sumner Burstyn who investigated the promotion and roll-out of the vaccine in New Zealand. The researchers respond to Novartis. Earlier articles giving the background of the New Zealand vaccine scandal are also available on the Scoop.co.nz site.
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Saturday August 5 2006
updated on Friday December 1 2006URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2006/08/05/new_zealand_meningitis_vaccination_shows_little_effect.htm
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