Immunisation computer bugs fixed for free

Bugs in the system for the National Immunisation Register have been fixed by the software supplier at no extra cost to the taxpayer, Health Minister Annette King said yesterday.

She was questioned for a second time in Parliament on problems with the register.

Act MP Heather Roy asked whether the register could prove to be another Incis, as it had more than "150 bugs" in the system and had missed out or incorrectly recorded data on thousands of children.

Ms King said there were "teething problems" with the computer system, but these were being fixed.

The IBM Incis police computer system ran tens of millions of dollars over budget and several years behind schedule before being canned in 1999.

Mrs Roy also asked about the cost of the immunisation register system. Ms King replied that the cost of developing the computer software was $4.2 million spread over three years.

- NZPA