The likely response from the Ministry of Health will be mathematical platitudes to the tune of lots of cervical cancer prevented; X percentage of adolescents have received (the first shot of) Gardasil, and X number of doses have been given, blah blah blah. But that’s a sop, and not nearly good enough. We’ve heard it all before, and we know it’s not what parents see.
Twenty three years ago, with the Ministry of Health tried to saturate the whole of the Auckland area with a vaccine called Menomune A. Just as in 2009, I was right there, trying to help parents get answers. Children were falling like flies, and adverse reactions were two a penny.
But the Health Department in their wisdom, attributed the reactions to adolescent hysteria. Where have we heard that before. The same excuse is given to the dizziness, blood pressure drops and immediate reactions to Gardasil. In 1987, parents rebelled and spoke out, so the Ministry of Health was forced to open a hotline where parents could report a reaction themselves, rather than trust their doctors to do so.
In a telling briefing paper, (released to me under the OIA), a comment was made at a Hepatitis B working party, that the Health Department had compared the reporting from the doctors, to the reports from the parents to the hot line. Doctors reported .9% of cases. Less than one percent of Menomune A reactions were reported by doctors after parents had gone to see them. Great wasn’t it. Is it any better today? I somehow doubt it.
Today, the situation with reporting, is somewhat different than in 1987. We now have a National Immunisation Register (NIR), so the Ministry of Health should be able to work out who, of all the children, has had one, two, or three Gardasil vaccines.
Jasmine died after completing the series, so series completion means nothing in terms of showing that a child has come through the series unscathed.
But all children whose parents have refused second or subsequent vaccines, should be asked whether or not they had a reaction which their doctors did not report, and why these parents are now unhappy.
Where there have been side effects, CARM and the NIR should be able to flag batch numbers, and compare data with other children. But they don’t. Why? Because NIR is solely a vaccine enforcement database. It has nothing to do with looking out for a child's health. It's all about "number crunching".
Another long term issue needs to be answered, and that is, “Do vaccines result in healthier children?”
A study should be set up with three groups, to enable a broad look at issues.:
- Adolescents totally unvaccinated.
- Adolescents who have received all vaccines except Gardasil
- Adolescents who have had all three Gardasil vaccines.
These three groups should be compared looking at incidence and types of acute infections, and chronic illnesses.
A sub-study should be done looking at the health of adolescents who refused to complete the 3-vaccine Gardasil course.
New Zealand parents deserve nothing less, because the Ministry of Health put that system into place, and it should be used - not just for vaccine enforcement, but as an ongoing measure of the health and wellbeing of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
There has been much talk about unvaccinated children being a threat to vaccinated children (huh?!!!) and unvaccinated children are portrayed by the Ministry of health vaccine defenders as “typhoid Mary’s” about to ruin the health of the rest of the vaccinated country.
Those of us who have chosen not to vaccinate and reared children to be healthy adults, know that in comparison to our peers, we parents know very little about the inside of a doctors office apart from children’s injuries, and even less about all the regularly prescribed drugs like antibiotics, steroids, asthma drugs etc etc etc… which so many of our peers know all the side effects of!
As more and more vaccines are crowded into and expanded to fill every year of a person's life, it's vital, that this question is answered, and soon.
But will it ever be? don't hold your breath.
(More cases will be put up on this blog as parents and adolescents give permission)