PhD Thesis - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

debates in medical circles surrounding the rubella immunisation policy, and
enthusiasm for it amongst parents was fairly low. Figures also varied considerably
between health districts. In 1973 it was found that in the Dunedin Health District 61.9
percent of new school entrants were immunised against rubella. 10 In contrast, the
Medical Officer of Health for Lower Hutt, James Ramsey, released figures in 1974
showing only 15 percent of children in his district were immunised by age five. 11
This low number was repeated in the Hamilton District where doctors claimed for
only 1,020 rubella immunisations when over 5,000 children started school in 1974. 12
After the initial success of the 1971 rubella campaign, which had a 95 percent
acceptance rate, this was of grave concern to the Health Department. A strategy was
put in place by the Department whereby children were given a rubella immunisation
along with a booster shot of double vaccine just before they started school. This was
a community measure designed to protect the unborn baby and as primary school
children were perceived to be the largest reservoir of rubella infection the strategy was
directed towards them. Almost immediately, the Health Department ran into
difficulties. The problem was twofold. Firstly, it was necessary to persuade parents
to have their preschoolers immunised against a mild childhood illness for the benefit
of the community, with little advantage for the child. Secondly, there was also some
disagreement amongst members of the medical profession over the policy adopted.
Some medical practitioners believed it would be more effective to immunise girls at
around age 11. 13
To ensure the success of the policy the Health Department had to maintain rubella
immunity levels at about 95 percent. Up until 1979 this was never achieved. The
controversy within the medical profession regarding the rubella immunisation policy
was a major reason for the low uptake, as doctors in turn influenced parents. A
visiting American Professor of Paediatrics, Henry Kempe, from the University of
Colorado Medical Centre, Denver, spoke at the Paediatric Society Conference in
October 1973. He stated that he felt it was ‘quite wrong’ to administer the vaccine to
10
‘Immunisation state of all new entrants to school in Dunedin Health District 1973’, AAFB 632
W3463/83 47692 144/18/1, ANZ, Wellington.
11
New Zealand Herald (NZH), 30 July 1974.
12
Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Hamilton to Head Office, 3 February 1975, AAFB 632 W3463/83
47692 144/18/1, ANZ, Wellington.
13
For a discussion on this policy see Chapter 6, pp.178-83.
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