PhD Thesis - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

This scepticism focused not on the effectiveness or the safety of the vaccine but rather
on the fact that by the 1960s there were not enough new cases being revealed to
justify the expense and coverage of BCG programme currently in place in schools,
even though it was now only applicable to North Island schools. The debate however,
remained within the medical arena and was not shared by the public, most of whom
consented for their children to receive BCG. In 1963, 34,621 doses of vaccine were
given, mainly to secondary school children. 197 In 1968, 32,137 children aged 13 to 14
received a BCG. 198 These figures remained constant into the 1970s.
Conclusion
From 1941 to 1962 the vaccines routinely available for children had increased from
one (or two for Maori) at the beginning of the period to five. This had necessitated
the development of guidelines and eventually a schedule of immunisation by the
Department to assist both doctors and parents in achieving the required number of
immunisations at the correct time. This effectively transferred control of these
decisions away from the doctor and over to the Health Department. 199
Changing ideas regarding the authority of science, the growth of medical
specialisation as well as an increase in the number of vaccines facilitated the use of
expert advice over and above that available within the Health Department. The WHO
exerted great influence over immunisation procedure and policy development in New
Zealand with the Health Department committed to undertaking active roles within the
WHO itself. The EAC, as New Zealand’s panel of experts, now guided immunisation
policy by making recommendations to the Health Department. Essential decision-
making was therefore, during this period, shifted away from the Department and into
the hands of specialists; aspects of Health Department immunisation policy would
now be determined by experts outside of the Department and even outside New
Zealand.
197
AJHR, 1964, H-31, p.56.
198
AJHR, 1969, H-31, p.16. These figures do not include those who were found to already have
immunity to the disease.
199
Typhoid immunisations were given to Maori only and will be dealt with in the next chapter. Polio
immunisation will be discussed in Chapter 5.
93