Act angry at National's claim over meningococcal vaccine's 'adverse' effects

National has come under fire from one of its traditional allies for using ACC figures to highlight "adverse" effects from the meningococcal vaccination programme.

Act health spokeswoman Heather Roy said yesterday that she was appalled by her National counterpart Tony Ryall's move to "wrongly" suggest a link between the ACC claims and the vaccine.

Mr Ryall questioned on Wednesday why the Government had said there were no significant adverse events associated with the meningococcal B vaccine, when the ACC had accepted 33 claims for such events.

One of the claims was from an 8-year-old girl who developed a severe blood disorder.

Mrs Roy argued that because ACC is a no-fault system, the fact that claims had been successful meant only that an injury had occurred - not that the vaccine was to blame.

"This attempt to discredit the Government serves only to undermine public confidence in a safe and effective vaccine that saves children's lives."

She said she had signed a consent form to vaccinate her own children after evaluating the positives and negatives.

Act's criticism of National followed the Government's claim that Mr Ryall was scaremongering about the vaccination.

Health Minister Pete Hodgson said yesterday his earlier statement that there had been no adverse effects had mistakenly left out the word "unexpected" before "effects".

That had occurred because the Ministry of Health left the word out, he said.

Asked if he would be asking that the word be added, he said, "I will be demanding it".

Mr Hodgson said there would always be some reactions in any "mass medication programme" including vaccination, but the level of adverse reactions in the meningococcal one were modest.

"I haven't been anything other than frank," he said.

Mr Ryall was unrepentant, saying parents were entitled to be fully informed about the risks and benefits of the vaccination, and the Government shouldn't be sanitising the information it gives them.