Hon Pete Hodgson
Minister of Health
Hon Ruth Dyson
Minister for ACC

25 October 2006 Media Statement

Ryall panic merchant wrong on vaccine

Tony Ryall's ill-informed attempts to discredit the MeNZB campaign are unworthy of him, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

"Mr Ryall's 'revelation' that there have been 33 treatment injury claims associated with MeNZB accepted by ACC since the beginning of 2005 is entirely within anticipated outcomes.

"The low number of accepted claims of a serious nature actually reinforce the view of the Ministry of Health that the vaccine has caused very few severe adverse reactions. Most of the cases were needle injuries sustained during one of the many injections that were administered," said Pete Hodgson.

ACC Minister Ruth Dyson said Mr Ryall was either being lazy or deceitful in his misuse of claims information from ACC in order to increase the anxiety of New Zealand parents about the MeNZB vaccine.

"It really shows the National party do not have the best interests of New Zealand children at heart, that they would seek to spread panic in order to gain a few cheap political points," she said.

Ruth Dyson said that with a median cost of $79, the entitlements received by ACC claimants would appear to have been mainly GP visits, perhaps with some prescriptions as well.

Prior to the rollout of the campaign the epidemic strain of the Meningococcal B virus caused 200 cases a year in young people; just under a quarter of whom died or were left with lasting disability.

ENDS

BACKGROUND

MeNZB accepted Treatment Injuries from 1 July 2005 to current (Source: ACC)

10cm localised tissue reaction left thigh to 3rd Menz B vaccine 1
allergic reaction 7
Anaphylactic reaction 2
Axillary nerve injury left arm. 1
Bicipital tenosynovitis 1
Cellulitis 1
contusion injection site 2
Frozen shoulder 1
Haematoma at vaccination site 6
Infection 1
nerve damage 1
periositis and muscle inflammation 1
Relex sympathetic dystrophy 1
rotator cuff impingement 3
Skin puncture 1
tendonitis 1
The development of immune thrombocytopenia 1
fractured upper teeth 1

Total: 33

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