Hilary's Desk

After last night's Sunday documentary, Nikki Turner hit out, with the email below.  However, all this document does, is to show just how little Nikki Turner actually understands the very system she's trying to explain.

She says:

Firstly we need to remember that ACC is no fault compensation – it is not proving causal links. 

This is the biggest load of rubbish I've ever seen her spout.  Here's why.

ACC has never been "fault" compension insofar as the injured party cannot find fault with the doctor, the practice, the DHB, the Government and the manufacturer, who were all indemnified for perpetuity.  Parents couldn't "blame" them.  No "fault" was ascribed to them. Furthermore, compensation was only available for "uncommon" injuries.  Soreness at site just didn't count.  That was "normal".

ACC never paid these parents compensaion on some beneficent whim.  I know.  You know how I know?  I spent 15 years helping parents fight for ACC compensation.  The PARENTS had to prove that there was nothing else that could have caused the brain damage - that the only possible thing "at fault" was a product called a vaccine.  The standard of evidence required the parents to PROVE a causal link, and not only to prove a causal link, but to find a doctor who will AGREE that there is a causal link, and preferably, to produce medical evidence from the medical literature to support that causal link. Read Full Blog

Have you noticed a subtle shift away from defining a vaccine by initials which stand for the number of vaccine components being given in the one needle? When you see GARDASIL, do you mentally realise that GARDASIL stands for Quadrivalent HPV vaccine, i.e. four different viruses in one needle?  When you see the title PREVENAR, do you realise that that is seven vaccines in one? Read Full Blog