Immunisation on the Internet
Recommended Internet sites have been listed with categories for Parents (P); Clinicians/Researchers (C); and those that have good information for all categories (B). Health Ed - www.healthed.govt.nz (C)
To download MOH resouces and pamphlets. WellChild / Tamariki Ora - www.wellchild.org.nz (B)
Is about babies, infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers under 5 years old and keeping them well, growing and developing to their fullest potential. The site is here to assist WellChild / Tamariki Ora Health providers to work together with families to provide the best support, health promotion and prevention for all New Zealand Children under 5. The information can also be useful to parents, caregivers and whanau alike to help ensure that their Tamariki get the very best services available and all the appropriate free checks and advice. Immunization Action Coalition - www.immunize.org (B)
Works to increase immunisation rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance the delivery of safe and effective immunisation services. The Coalition also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunisation community of patients, parents, health care organisations, and government health agencies (non-profit organisation in America). Communicable Disease Centre (Atlanta, USA) - www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ (B)
Easy to negotiate and includes sections on "Importance of Immunisation", "Diseases that Vaccines Prevent" and "in the spotlight" which also includes safety fact sheets for individual vaccines. American Academy of Pediatrics - www.aap.org (P)
Main purpose of this site is to inform parents and includes colourful (and graphic) pictures. Excellent new article "Why should I immunize my child?". The Vaccine Page - www.vaccines.org (B)
Provides access to the latest news about vaccines. Site is categorised for adults, parents, practitioners and researchers and includes links to journals and other vaccine-related sites and provides a search facility. NZ Ministry of Health - www.moh.govt.nz (C)
Official material on vaccination laws and practices in New Zealand plus good discussion of issues and valuable links. Particularly useful section on countering anti-immunisation statements. Institute for Vaccine Safety - www.vaccinesafety.edu (B)
Based at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, this site aims to obtain and disseminate objective information on the safety of recommended vaccines. Also discusses current vaccine issues in the media. Family Doctor - www.familydoctor.co.nz/ (P)
Not up to date with latest changes to New Zealand Schedule at time of writing, but has an overview of vaccination by a paediatrician and some useful links. Immunise Australia - www.immunise.health.gov.au (P)
Good overall information, one of the best features being the ability to download some excellent publications - including "Immunisation: Myths vs Realities" and "Understanding Childhood Immunisation". NZ Health Consumer Information - www.everybody.co.nz (P)
Good articles (although not up to date at time of writing) for parents about immunisation and Pertussis can be found on the "Parenting centre" on this site. Medical Matrix - www.medmatrix.org (C)
Offers ranked, peer-reviewed, annotated, updated clinical medicine resources. An enquiry for "Immunisation" produced 19 items, of which I would have found 12 useful. World Health Organisation - www.who.int/topics/immunization/en/ (B)
Another comprehensive site, which includes statistics, graphs and maps for immunisation profiles by country and immunisation information for travellers. The Immunization Gateway - www.immunofacts.com/ (B)
A comprehensive link to the most up-to-date immunisation resources available via the internet. It states that it will only connect you to the most responsible sources of information that they can locate. South Australian Public Health - www.health.sa.gov.au/PEHS/ (B)
Immunisation is just one of the public health topics on this site but some very good information can easily be found and downloaded. Immunisation Awareness Society - www.ias.org.nz (B)
This New Zealand organisation says it is "pro-choice" but is basically against immunisation. It has links to other similar sites and it is important to remind parents that these sites contain material based on selective or misleading use of information. Useful for clinicians to see what parents hear about from others. Austratlian Sceptics - www.skeptics.com.au/index.html (B)
This is the site of the Australian Skeptics Society and contains a review of Viera Schiebner's anti-medical/anti-immunisation articles and publications. She is often quoted in anti-immunisation material). The society awarded her the wooden spoon in 1997, saying that she 'fulfils all the qualifications foar a charlatan in that she uses doubtful science and science methadologies to propound a truly dangerous idea...she takes isolated snippets of information which support her contention but does not cite the tenor of the article or the context in which the quote is included...' The facts presented in this paper are useful to refute some of the misinformation that is around. Quackwatch - www.quackwatch.com/ (P)
A site dedicated to combating health-related myths, fads and fallacies. Institute of Environmental Science and Reasearch Ltd - www.esr.cri.nz (C)
Easy to negotiate. Source of New Zealand infectious disease epidemiology includes on line copies of the monthly Public Health Surveillance reports. Institute of Medicine (IDM) – www.iom.edu/IOM/IOMHome.nsf/Pages/immunization+safety+review (C)
This IOM page describes the on going Immunisation Safety Review study which has released reports on the MMR vaccine and Autism, Thiomersal in vaccines and is currently reviewing the issue of multiple vaccines and the immune system. The Paediatric Society of New Zealand Inc (PSNZ) - www.kidshealth.org.nz (C)
Is a not-for-profit charitable organisation. Until 2000 it remained largely a professional support organisation for paediatricians. In 2000 it moved to become a multidisciplinary organisation in recognition of the crucial role played by all groups of child health professionals in achieving its mission. PSNZ is committed to improving the health of children and young people. As a multi-disciplinary Society it is able to develop and influence pathways for improvement. Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) - www.oneforthegirls.co.nz (B) This interactive website is the result of an idea to create a campaign to inform and empower girls who want to know more about HPV immunisation and what it means for them. The site was created by AUT students.
If you have any queries or questions about the material you read on any of the sites above or, for that matter, this site, please send us an email at:- imac@auckland.ac.nz |
