Immunisation (Press, 26 April 1988)

On 15 April 1988, Robyn Stewart took her children to the Boon Hay Community Hall for hepatitis B vaccinations, arriving at 8:55 a.m. She joined a queue of adults and children, but the doors did not open until 9:15 a.m., causing delays. Although she expected some waiting time, Stewart expressed concern that the scheduled vaccination times from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. should mean that the vaccinations were ready at 9 a.m. She noted that such delays could deter busy parents from utilising the vaccination services, which is critical given the health department's concerns about low immunisation levels. In response, Dr M. A. Brieseman, the deputy medical officer of health in Christchurch, acknowledged that the initial circumstances at Boon Hay were overwhelming. He clarified that staff had arrived by 8:20 a.m. and the first injection was administered around 9:00 a.m. He assured parents that efforts would be made to ensure smoother operations in the future. Another concern was raised by Wayne Stuart, who questioned why New Zealand was using a hepatitis B vaccine derived from blood, especially since blood donors were not screened for the AIDS virus prior to 1985. He highlighted that Australia uses a yeast-derived vaccine and sought clarification on the rationale behind using what he termed a "second-rate vaccine" in New Zealand. Dr Brieseman responded to Stuart's concerns, affirming that New Zealand children were not receiving a subpar vaccine. He explained that the blood used for the production of the vaccine is screened to exclude AIDS sufferers, and the vaccine production process involves three stages sufficient to eliminate the virus. Follow-up studies have shown no evidence of AIDS transmission through the vaccine, and both types of available vaccines are asserted to have equal efficacy. Further concerns were echoed by David Wyart, who questioned the assurances provided by Dr George Salmond, the Director-General of Health, regarding the vaccine's safety against AIDS. Wyart argued that the healthiness of a blood donor is not a reliable reassurance and noted that current antibody testing does not assure safety. He expressed a lack of confidence in the purification processes supposedly used to eliminate risks from AIDS and indicated that without further information, many parents, including himself, might withdraw their children from the vaccination programme. The myriad concerns surrounding the hepatitis B vaccination programme in New Zealand highlights the struggles between public health initiatives and parental apprehensions regarding safety, particularly in the context of historical health crises.

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