Religion a block for vaccines

‘‘. . . I would very much like every child to be immunised.’’

West Coast medical officer of health Cheryl Brunton

A West Coast public health expert says it is unlikely the region will ever hit immunisation targets.

West Coast District Health Board (DHB) had the lowest baby immunisation rate in the country from April to June this year.

The target immunisation rate set by the Ministry of Health is 95 per cent.

Over one in five West Coast caregivers declined to immunise their babies or opted out of placing their baby on the National Immunisation Register.

Only 78 per cent of 8-month-old babies were registered and immunised during the April to June quarter, well behind the national average of 93 per cent.

West Coast DHB’s immunisation rate was 11.1 per cent higher in the previous quarter.

Because the region’s population is only 33,700, a small change in actual numbers of immunised babies can cause a large change in percentage.

West Coast medical officer of health Cheryl Brunton said there was a historically high rate of people declining to immunise their babies on the West Coast.

‘‘What we find is that a number of the people who make those choices on the West Coast are doing so for religious reasons and they’re not likely to change their viewpoint. We have to remember immunisation is a choice.

‘‘From a public health perspective I would very much like every child to be immunised. Certainly [I’d] like a high enough proportion to be immunised to provide herd immunity to those who for whatever reason can’t be.’’

The West Coast has several religious groups that do not believe in immunisation, including the Gloriavale Christian Community, which has a population of over 500 and about 35 births a year.

Brunton said if just 5 per cent of parents turned down immunisation or opted off the register the DHB would fail its target.

‘‘If you compare us with other DHBs on those national charts we always look a bit dismal,’’ she said.

‘‘We’re always at the bottom, and we always kind of will be.’’

The DHB immunised every baby whose caregivers did not decline from April to June.

Brunton said those who declined vaccinations mostly put their own families at risk, although there was a public health element as well.

‘‘In any community where there’s a higher proportion of children who aren’t immunised, there is always the potential for vaccinepreventable diseases to spread. For example back in 2011 we had a nationwide outbreak of whooping cough. It actually started on the West Coast.’’

She said the DHB provided information about vaccinations to parents throughout pregnancy and childhood, like any other DHB.

‘‘We do make a point of contacting people who have declined, just to make sure that they understood what they were doing.’’

Caregivers would sometimes change their minds later, especially if there was an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease such as measles.

The DHB did not hassle or annoy parents with firm beliefs about immunisation, Brunton said. ‘‘We have to appreciate that when people have certain beliefs you’re not necessarily going to change them.’’

Canterbury DHB tied with Wairarapa DHB for the highest baby immunisation rate of 96 per cent.