Parents

The book, published in January 2013, is based on infromation provided by the HistoryofVaccines.org website which is well worth a visit even if only to watch the animated timeline showing the history of diseases, epidemics, vaccine discovery and development and public health measures to protect people against disease.

The book is only available from Amazon.

Children aged four and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness or who, in the opinion of their GP, have a history of significant respiratory illness will be eligible for free influenza vaccine from 1 April 2013. The background to PHARMAC's decision is available on their Influenza webpage.

General Practitioners (GPs) have the discretion to determine whether a child meets the significant respiratory illness criteria.

Download the  PHARMAC notification: Amendment to influenza vaccine funding criteria.

In Europe, the vaccine has been licensed for use in individuals two months of age and older. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia is also reviewing the vaccine data and considering licensure of Bexsero® in Australia.

Bexsero® with complement the currently available meningococcal group C and groups A, C, Y and W-135 vaccines currently available.

Information about the disease is available on our Meningococcal disease webpage and in our fact sheet.

Since January 1st 2013, Pharmac has funded a booster dose of pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) for all women 28 to 38 weeks pregnant. IMAc has created a new resource for Parents and Caregivers, which will be of interest to Health professionals as well. The new resource can be found on our written resource page.

New Zealand is in the midst of a pertussis epidemic. PHARMAC recently sought feedback on a proposal to extend funded Boostrix® for pregnant women in addition to those aged 11 years as per the National Immunisation Schedule.

Considerations and commentary around this decision are available in the  PHARMAC media release.

The New Zealand arm of the Global Poverty Project will be launching a number of new and exciting initiatives in 2013 centred around the worldwide elimination of polio. Their aim is to increase public engagement in The End of Polio campaign and celebrate the phenomenal efforts of Rotary, UNICEF and others. Details of events will be available on their website.

GAVI is a unique public-private global health partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisations in developing countries. Since 2001 they have helped to vaccinate 370 million children in the world’s poorest countries, helping to prevent more than 5.5 million deaths in the future.

In her column Shanks reported that in the last ten years Myanmar children have had access to an immunisation programme throughout most of the country’s regions because of the behind the scenes work by GAVI. However, issues still exist in relation to securing a cold chain, delivery of vaccines into remote areas, the availability of midwives and the availability of statistics to understand the demand for immunisation.

She notes that Myanmar, a nation of extremes from 18 lane highways in Nay Pyi to one lane roads in rural areas where an ox and cart are the normal form of transport, has faced many decades fraught with conflict and is undergoing enormous change as it emerges from five decades of economic and political isolation. Yet the future looks hopeful for the people of this nation because Myanmar people are resilient and have the desire for significant change to better help their communities.

The vaccine, Boostrix®, is available through general practice (GPs).

The District Health Board (DHB) will pay for the vaccine. However, providers may charge the patient a small vaccine administration fee. Please ask your GP about any vaccine administration cost.

Who is eligible?

• Only family/whānau of infants less than one year of age already receiving immunisations through the following services:
  • An outreach immunisation service
  • An open immunisation clinic
  • One of the following Very Low Cost Access primary health services:

The first dose of the National Immunisation Schedule vaccine is currently available through school and doses two and three available through general practice. A number of girls who started their Gardasil® immunisation course have not completed doses two and three with their GP or declined to complete the immunisation course but may still intend to complete the course. Delay in receiving their immunisations leaves them at risk of infection with human papillomavirus.

The injectable steroid medication possibly associated with this outbreak of meningitis is not available in New Zealand.

Fungal meningitis is not contagious. It can occur when the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord are infected with a fungus normally found in the environment. The fungus can be introduced into the body through a wound or surgical procedure and spread through the bloodstream, spread directly from an infected body site next to the central nervous system or be directly introduced into the fluid around the brain and spinal cord through the wound or surgical procedure.