Medical License Breached

Medical License Breached
Media Release
Ron Law
Risk & Policy Analyst

"The Minister of Health needs to explain to the public why the Ministry of Health deliberately withheld information from parents that was a condition of the license of the experimental drug, MeNZB," says risk & policy analyst Ron Law.

Documents received under the Official Information Act show that on August 3 2004, the Ministry of Health's Director of the MeNZB campaign was advised, in writing, (see attachment) that a condition of the MeNZB license required the consent form to be amended to include the fact that the Minister's own expert advisory committee was so concerned about the lack of efficacy information relating the the experimental drug, MeNZB, that a condition of the license to use MeZNB was that parents were advised of that concern.

Can the Minister please explain to the parents of New Zealand children why Dr O'Hallahan ignored that important condition of the license?

Can the Minister also explain upon what basis one of Chiron's own researchers, Dr Stewart Reid, writing in his capacity as a GP and an "Advisor to the Meningococcal Vaccine Strategy," wrote a document (see attachment) that was contrary to the findings of the Minister's own committee (which he took part in) when he reassured health professionals, "Key Message: The MeNZB vaccine targets the epidemic strain of meningococcal disease in New Zealand and offers a high level of protection against the epidemic strain that is expected to last for several years."... and "In summary - The MeNZB vaccine targets the epidemic strain of meningococcal disease in New Zealand and offers a high level of protection against the epidemic strain that is expected to last for several years.?"

Attached:
Medsafe_Instruction_to_MOH_re_efficacy___3_Aug_2004.pdf
Dr_Reid__Efficacy_and_duration_FINAL__Distributed_Wk_1_June_2005.pdf