Medical expert issues warning - vaccine not guaranteed to work

The long-awaited arrival of the meningococcal B vaccine in Northland has been greeted by claims it may not guard against the deadly disease.
Sue Claridge, principal researcher for the Immunisation Awareness Society (IAS), claims no comprehensive studies were conducted as part of the vaccine's licencing process that showed the vaccine actually worked.
Health officials were also overstating the prevalence of the disease, she said.
Ms Claridge - who is based in Auckland - said not everyone developed immunity through the vaccine.
While 75 percent of children had an immune response, it was not clear whether the vaccine produced enough antibodies to provide long-term protection from the disease, Ms Claridge said.
"They don't know if the vaccine works at all." However, Northland Medical Officer of Health Dr Jonathan Jarman said the issues raised were erroneous as it was the first time New Zealand had dealt with an epidemic of the disease.
The vaccine was similar to others used to control meningococcal epidemics in South America.
"We have to look at countries that have had similar problems and look at their vaccines and see whether they worked or not.
"There is clear evidence that they do work."
He also rejected claims by the IAS that case numbers had dropped to a 10-year low and the death-rate had dropped to a 13-year low.
New Zealand had the highest rates of the disease in developed world and the disease was certainly not declining in Northland, which had 37 cases last year, Dr Jarman said.
He stood by the Ministry of Health's decision to have a public vaccination programme even though only a small percentage of New Zealanders - 0.009 percent - contracted the disease.
"My response is that most people in Northland know someone who has been affected by this disease. The vaccine will be able to prevent 150 more children (in Northland) developing this disease over the next 10 years."
The society also claims there had been a number of bad reactions to the vaccine in Auckland.
Dr Jarman said 55 percent of toddlers will have a red spot where they have the injection and that 34 percent would experience some swelling at the injection site.
If people were concerned about reactions to the vaccine they could go and see their vaccinator or doctor or The Centre of Adverse Reactions through the public health service.
Northland's vaccination project starts on Monday, when about 11,000 Northland pre-schoolers aged from six months to five years are scheduled to receive the first of three meningococcal B vaccinations through GP practices.
There will be a six-week gap between each jab.