Vaccination drive poster deemed culturally unsafe

By TONY GEE


The Northland District Health Board is asking GPs in the region not to display a meningococcal B vaccination poster because it might be considered "culturally unsafe".

A photograph on the Ministry of Health poster features a Maori child and an elderly woman.

But Northland Health says the image of the woman and the child "could be inappropriate for a Northland audience - cropping the woman's face at the brow may be considered culturally unsafe".

In an urgent email to general practices on Monday, Northland Health asked that the poster not be displayed.

The move has appalled Whangarei MP Phil Heatley.

He described the "edict" to have the poster withdrawn as politically correct censorship that won't protect Northland children against meningococcal disease.

The poster is one of two in a vaccination resource pack distributed by the ministry aimed to promote take-up rates of vaccination in Northland against meningococcal disease.

Kim Tito, Northland Health general manager for Maori health, said the poster in question shows the face of a kuia cropped midway across her brow.

"Northland Health has considerable experience working with Northland Maori to develop resources and this experience tells us that the poster in question ... potentially presents a barrier to the very people we are trying to reach in Northland."

Mr Tito said the organisation had to minimise any possible barriers to Maori participation in the vaccination programme and as a result GP practices had been asked not to display the poster.

A range of resources had been developed for the meningococcal B programme and the poster was just one, he said.

Maori and Pacific Island people had been identified as key targets for the programme and it was important they were reached in Northland and their support for it maximised, Mr Tito said.

He said it was a Northland cultural issue and not necessarily a national one.

The poster was used successfully in Counties Manukau - the first area the vaccine was rolled out - and a spokeswoman was not aware of any complaints.

Mr Tito said such a poster was likely to offend Maori in other parts of the country as the head was viewed not only by Northland iwi as being tapu [sacred], but by most if not all Maori tribes.

Maori in Tai Tokerau were clear about using a person's body in its entirety.

The head and face are considered the most tapu part of the body.

Kuia and kaumatua are particularly revered and cropping the head of a kuia, leaving only part of the head visible, could be considered offensive by some Maori in Northland, Mr Tito said.

"The issue for Maori in Northland is how the head and face, especially of older people, are viewed."

Northland GPs are scheduled to start vaccinating 11,000 children aged between six months and five years with the new meningococcal B vaccine on November 22.

A vaccination programme for about 30,000 school-aged children starts in May.

The Northland Health email was sent to GPs by vaccine strategy project manager Jacqui Westren.

She asked all Northland general practices not to display the poster.

Both ministry posters are in English. The other poster has the message "It doesn't have to be".

Mr Heatley said it was not just the waste of resources that disgusted him.

"It's the fact that our health professionals are ... expending their energy on something of no practical consequence when our kids' lives are on the line."

Mr Heatley has called for the vaccination programme to be brought forward after an outbreak of potentially fatal meningococcal septicaemia at a Whangarei preschool centre late last month.

Northland Medical Officer of Health Dr Jonathan Jarman was on leave yesterday and could not be contacted about the vaccination poster's withdrawal.

Ministry of Health meningococcal vaccine strategy director Dr Jane O'Hallahan said the poster was developed by Maori and Pacific designers.

She stressed that its use was entirely at the discretion of each district health board.

Printed ministry resources for the vaccination programme had been through a "rigorous" checking process which included diverse cultural advice and input.