In 2022 only 55.4 per cent of infants six months old and younger in the Lakes District were fully immunised. Photo / NZME
In 2022 only 55.4 per cent of infants six months old and younger in the Lakes District were fully immunised. Photo / NZME
Just over half of infants in the Rotorua Lakes District aged 6 months old or younger are fully immunised against potentially deadly diseases including polio and whooping cough - below the national rate.
It comes after three children under the age of 1 have died from whooping coughthis year, prompting fears of a winter outbreak.
According to the Ministry of Health’s most recent data published in February, in 2022 about 55.4 per cent of infants in the district aged 6 months or younger received their scheduled immunisations - 884 of 1597 eligible.
This was lower than the 68.8 per cent national immunisation coverage rate and showed a decline in vaccinations for that age group since 2020 (61.7 per cent).
Immunisation coverage for Māori infants in the district was lower with 43.3 per cent of 6-month-olds fully immunised.
In the last quarter of the year, the rate for Lakes infants in this age group overall was 55.9 per cent compared to a national 68.7 per cent.
New Zealand’s immunisation schedule states that by the age of 12 months, children should have had shots against polio, whooping cough, Hepatitis B and diphtheria.
Three Lakes Clinic GP Dr Cate Mills said she found the infant immunisation coverage statistics “absolutely concerning”.
She said it meant the most vulnerable members of the population were more likely to “end up with those infections and in hospital very unwell”.
Dr Cate Mills.
Mills said having heard so much about vaccines over the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people were “over it”.
In her view: “We’ve lost sight of the primary cause of vaccination which is to protect our tamariki [children].”
Mills said people could also be reluctant to vaccinate small babies but it was at that age that children most needed their shots.
“Come and talk to us, talk to a trusted health professional. Be fully informed about the risks and the benefits so you can make the best decision for your baby.”
Immunisation Advisory Centre senior advisor Dr Mary Nowlan said each vaccine type was specifically timed in the national schedule based on international evidence, local disease patterns and clinical trial data.
“The timing of the schedule and the number of doses relate to how infants respond to vaccines and the ages at which they are at greatest risk of those diseases,” Nowlan said.
Immunisation Advisory Centre senior advisor Dr Mary Nowlan.
Māori and Pasifika vaccine coverage levels had slipped since 2018.
Nowlan said infants younger than 12 months old were “very susceptible” to whooping cough. So it was “vital” for children to start their vaccination programme at six weeks old.
“The bacterium that causes whooping cough [pertussis] releases toxins, including pertussis toxin that is particularly nasty,” she said.
“In infants with small bodies, a small quantity of pertussis toxin can make the baby so seriously ill there is nothing that can be done to treat the infection except to try to support the baby’s organs until the infection has passed.”
Whooping cough sometimes took lives or left babies with long-term brain and lung damage despite “high-tech” intensive care.
Nowlan said New Zealanders were very lucky to have had access to immunisation against whooping cough for decades.
“We do not remember how severe many of the vaccine-preventable diseases are.”
Three infants, all aged under 1, have died from whooping cough this year.
Te Whatu Ora National Public Health Service clinical lead health protection Dr William Rainger said there had been 11 cases of whooping cough in the country as of April 4.
“While reported cases remain low, these deaths are an urgent reminder that whooping cough is a serious illness, especially for younger babies.”
Rainger said the ratio of fatalities to identified cases is much higher than in previous years, suggesting there may be undetected spread in the community.
Te Whatu Ora national director prevention Astrid Koornneef said the organisation had set a national target of 95 per cent of all children being up to date with their immunisations by 30 June 2024.
“The most recent data available, for the three-month period ending 31 December 2022, shows that coverage for all New Zealand children still remains short of that, at 82.4 per cent. Figures for tamariki Māori are below these rates, at 66.4 per cent,” Koornneef said.
“This means that there is significant risk of a vaccination-preventable disease outbreak.”
Whānau Āwhina Plunket chief nurse Zoe Tipa said with the recent death of three babies from whooping cough and low childhood immunisation coverage meant there was a “real risk” of a whooping cough outbreak this winter.
“Now is the time to catch up on immunisation to protect pēpi, tamariki and whānau,” Tipa said.
Tipa said parents could also ring the PlunketLine day or night to speak to a nurse.
“While it is best for your child to be immunised on time, we know life is busy with tamariki under five and sometimes other things get in the way. If your child has missed any immunisations, it’s not too late to catch up.”
Whooping cough: What you need to know
Whooping cough starts like a cold with a runny nose, cough and fever.
After seven to ten days the cough becomes more severe and causes coughing fits that may end with a ‘whoop’, dry retching or vomiting.
This illness is unpleasant for anyone, but it is life-threatening for babies.
Parents should also seek urgent medical advice if their baby stops breathing, goes blue with coughing, gets exhausted from coughing or is not able to feed properly because of coughing.
Immunisation against whooping cough is available free at your GP or some pharmacies for all babies and young children should get their vaccine doses on time at six weeks, three months and five months old.
