Ban pupils without vaccine says doctor

By REBECCA WALSH

A Waikato health leader has suggested making the new meningococcal disease vaccine compulsory.

He believes children who are not vaccinated against the disease should be banned from schools and preschools.

Dr Tony Haycock, chairman of Waikato District Health Board's community and public health committee, said millions of dollars was being spent to try to combat the meningococcal B epidemic yet some parents would still refuse to have their child vaccinated.

"We are concerned we might put a lot of money and effort into it and still not reduce the terrible statistics, which are Third World statistics," he said.

"Vaccinations have always been free but we still don't get to the level to stamp out epidemics. Why is that? We are still a very PC society and we allow people to opt off."

New Zealand has one of the world's worst rates of meningococcal disease, with an average of 16 deaths a year.

The Ministry of Health is awaiting approval for a vaccine to begin a $200 million campaign, which aims to eventually vaccinate 90 per cent of people under 20 against the disease.

Dr Haycock, a former GP, said he believed that for the "greater good" it might be time to consider making vaccination compulsory.

"It's a bit like smoking in public places. Do we have to go to the point that we legislate to achieve the herd immunity that we require to eliminate the epidemic?"

He would raise the issue at the next board meeting.

But his suggestion of banning children from school is not supported by health bosses or those working in the field.

A spokesman for Health Minister Annette King said there were no plans to make vaccination compulsory.

"That's not the way it's done in New Zealand."

Excluding children from school would be a "double penalty" for children who were not vaccinated.

Ms King expected parents would flock to get the vaccine as soon as it was approved.

Dr Nikki Turner, director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at Auckland University, said there was no point scientifically in excluding children not vaccinated against meningococcal disease from school.

The meningococcal B vaccine offered an individual protection but did not appear to stop him or her carrying the bug and passing it on to someone else.

"Me getting vaccinated will not protect my neighbour."

School Trustees Association president Chris France said schools did not have any legal grounds for refusing entry to children who had not been vaccinated. He said boards needed to promote vaccination "against this killer disease".