PhD Thesis - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

Vaccine Does U-Turn’ was the headline in the New Zealand Herald. 149 The New
Zealand Listener called the Department’s actions, ‘a lesson in how not to maintain
credibility’. 150 A paediatric neurologist, Dr David Jamison, was appointed by the
Department to examine the 546 children in whom a reaction had occurred. After
reviewing Jamison’s findings, the Medical Assessor of the Medicines Adverse
Reactions Committee, Professor Ralph Edwards, advised that any child who had
suffered any type of reaction to the first injection should not receive a booster ‘given
that some doubt must now be present’. 151 He did conclude ‘it was reasonable to
continue to offer primary vaccination so long as there is a risk of a child developing
meningitis’. 152 He also recommended that the Department should not undertake any
more campaigns without ‘some prospective method of obtaining information
concerning adverse effects’. 153 The Department had already delayed the booster
programme until the results of the assessments were known and the programme did
not commence until mid-September. In the primary campaign over 90 percent of
eligible children had received a meningitis immunisation before the controversy
erupted. 154 However, the booster campaign attracted only a 30 per cent take-up,
attributed to the adverse publicity. 155
George Salmond, the Director-General of Health, explained to the New Zealand
Listener that the epidemic ‘sort of sneaked up on us in a way’ and that he did not
realise it was a significant problem in Auckland until early 1987. 156 This gave only a
short time to prepare pre-campaign publicity. Nevertheless, the Department was not
keen to share information with parents. Dr John McLeod argued during the campaign
that the ‘majority of people don’t want all that information. Most believe we are out
to help them, not destroy them’. 157 It was not until afterwards that both he and
Salmond admitted parents should have been given more information with McLeod
149
NZH, 12 July 1987.
150
F. Macdonald, ‘Meningitis’, p.18.
151
‘Report on Clinical Events following Meningitis A vaccination in Auckland’, ABQU 632
W4415/918 67372 144/39, ANZ, Wellington.
152
ibid.
153
ibid.
154
‘Meningococcal Meningitis Immunisation Campaign in Auckland 1987’, ABQU 632 W4415/918
67372 144/39, ANZ, Wellington.
155
‘Meningococcal Meningitis ‘Mop Up’ Campaign, Auckland Region, 1988’, ABQU 632
W4415/918 67372 144/39, ANZ, Wellington.
156
F. Macdonald, ‘Meningitis’, p.17.
157 SS, 5 July 1987.
263