Northland vaccine rates fall
The rate of children being immunised in Northland is falling significantly according to a new study.
Published in the New Zealand Medical Journal the study titled ‘Childhood immunisations in Northland, New Zealand: declining care and the journey through the immunisation pathway’ explores the region’s low rates of immunisation.
Northland DHB Medical Officer of Health Dr Juliet Rumball-Smith and Auckland researcher Dr Tim Kenealy authored the study that reviewed data for children born in the region between 2009 to 2013.
‘‘We have a high proportion of parents and caregivers who actively refuse immunisation for their babies - the rate of immunisation ‘decline’ in Northland is more than twice the national average,’’ says Rumball-Smith.
Paihia resident Debbie Raphael does not support the practice of immunisation but respects the wishes of those who do.
‘‘I am personally against immunisation because I have experience of not being immunised.
‘‘In my mind if we give people mild forms of contagious illnesses, we never learn how to deal with strong amounts of it. I think we are gradually weakening by the generation.’’
She says she wants her sixmonth-old child to develop a natural immunity to disease and will respect people who do not wish to associate with her child.
Dr Rumball-Smith says that the decision not to immunise babies is long lasting with more than 95 per cent of the babies in the study found to not be immunised as they got older.
‘‘This has important implications for the health of these children, but also for the wellbeing and resilience of a community to vaccine preventable disease.
‘‘Studies show that children whose parents have refused their vaccination are 35 times more likely to get measles and six times more likely to get whooping cough.’’
Whangarei practice nurse Annie Mullenger works to protect young children through immunisation.
But when she was raising her own family she was against the practice until four of her six children contracted measles.
‘‘It was really naivety on my part because I didn’t realise how dangerous measles is.’’