PhD Thesis - ResearchSpace@Auckland - The University of Auckland

after World War Two, although during the 1930s parents received other information
regarding health and nutrition for their children via pamphlets or radio talks. In terms
of relative importance at this stage, there were other areas of childcare such as
nutrition, hygiene and dental care that were seen as more of a priority to the
Department, although the occasional radio talk and article in the newspapers did try to
promote, with limited success, the message about diphtheria immunisation.
Although about 11,500 children had been immunised at school by 1928, the
Bundaberg tragedy in the same year had a huge impact on the immunisation
programmes, determining their shape for the next ten to 15 years. At a point were the
programme had just been expanded, all immunisations were halted for around a year.
The fear engendered by Bundaberg within the public, and the caution exercised by the
medical profession and the Health Department, were in evidence throughout the
1930s. As a result a piecemeal diphtheria immunisation programme was put in place
during this decade which focused mainly on immunising schools where outbreaks of
the disease were occurring. Only two districts had introduced proactive immunisation
programmes achieving around 50 percent coverage and were largely the results of the
efforts of one Medical Officer of Health.
In contrast to Canada and New York City, both of whom had substantial
immunisation campaigns, New Zealand’s efforts looked meagre. However they were
comparable with both Britain and Australia (whose public confidence was also
seriously damaged by the Bundaberg disaster) and New Zealand followed Britain’s
lead in introducing a national immunisation programme in 1941. Lack of staffing and
resources also precluded the introduction of a programme on Canadian or American
lines.
Typhoid immunisations were confined to Maori to try and combat the high levels of
typhoid present in their communities. These were mainly given to children but the
Health Department did not observe the legal consent requirements, instead procuring
agreement from family kumatua or the native schoolteacher rather than parents
themselves. This illegal procedure was to have serious repercussions in the 1940s and
1950s for the Health Department.
55