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Big Rise in Meningococcal Cases and Deaths
Big Rise in Meningococcal Cases and Deaths
Ron Law, Risk & Policy Analyst
Barbara Sumner Burstyn, Researcher
Ministry of Health figures released today confirm five deaths due to meningococcal disease and 35 cases of the disease in the past month.
The Ministry of Health claims that the MeNZB vaccine has worked... especially in the Auckland region.
Sixteen of the thirty five cases in July were in the Auckland region, 8 in the Auckland DHB and 8 in the Counties Manukau DHB.
The figures speak for themselves; The MeNZB vaccine has made no significant impact on cases of meningococcal disease which, despite July being the highest monthly total since the beginning of the MeNZB campaign, has continued a natural decline that began in 2002.
There has been a 73 percent decline in cases since the peak in 2001; 50 percent of that occurred before the MeNZB vaccine was introduced.
The public should not be complacent because their children have been vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health acknowledges that 19 fully vaccinated children have developed the MeNZB strain of meningococcal disease; what they have not made public are how many fully vaccinated children have contracted other strains of the disease and in some cases died.
"There is an urgent need for the Ministry of Health to release all their data for independent scrutiny," says Ron Law.
Further background information regarding the flawed MeNZB policy and science can be found on Scoop at:
ENDS
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