Parents relieved that vaccination campaign underway

By ALAN PERROTT

"I'm just so relieved, completely relieved," said Noreen Ah Him after her son received the first vaccination from the meningococcal B immunisation programme.

Her family were guests of honour at the Mangere Family Doctors clinic where Prime Minister Helen Clark and Health Minister Annette King launched the programme yesterday.

Like many parents, Mrs Ah Him was fearful of the deadly disease which masquerades as a common cold and was smiling, despite the tears running down 9-month-old Rayvin's face after he was injected in a thigh.

A few minutes later, Robyn Sisitoutai was shedding her own tears of relief as Jordan, her 1-year-old, received an injection.

She hoped all parents would be able to get such peace of mind as quickly as possible.

Stage one of the $200 million programme will involve clinics in high-risk areas throughout South Auckland and parts of Auckland City.

Forty-seven GPs were administering injections yesterday, but the programme will spread to all GPs in the target areas during the next four weeks.

Over the next year the project will move from north to south in the North Island and from south to north in the South Island.

Dr Peter Woodward, from Mangere Family Doctors, was happy to finally have a weapon against the epidemic. His clinic has 2000 vials of vaccine to administer to patients aged up to 5 years. Each must receive three shots, one every six weeks.

"We've never had a vaccine before, so we couldn't do anything to stop it. Now we just want to get on with getting rid of it," he said.

"I have seen what it can do and, I can tell you, it's scary for doctors as well.

"It looks so much like a cold to begin with that even the best doctor in the world will miss it."

Health Minister Annette King said she understood the worries of parents outside the initial coverage areas, but the limited stocks had to be used in highest risk areas.

Vaccine advice

Health officials have advised parents to ensure their child gets all three shots even if the child has a mild reaction to the vaccination.

Parents should expect each shot to cause pain, swelling and redness at the injection site in most children.

Others may get a slight fever, headache, nausea, muscle and joint pain and feel drowsy or irritable.