With the roll-out of a Covid-19 vaccine gathering steam across New Zealand, here’s a quick explainer on what goes into it and how it works. Support the Spinoff by becoming a Member – and score a Toby Morris tea towel. Who is getting vaccinated? First on the list to be offered the vaccine are the … Read more
With the roll-out of a Covid-19 vaccine gathering steam across New Zealand, here’s a quick explainer on what goes into it and how it works. Support the Spinoff by becoming a Member – and score a Toby Morris tea towel. Who is getting vaccinated? First on the list to be offered the vaccine are the … Read more
Early trials of every approved Covid-19 vaccine involved giving them to animals. Ethicist Ben Bramble explains why vegans have a legitimate right to be upset about this – but why they should get the vaccine regardless. Some of my vegan friends are reluctant to get the Covid-19 vaccine. These vaccines do not contain animal products, … Read more
Today the NZ vaccination programme begins in earnest, with the first doses provided to border workers. Why is that so important? Siouxsie and Toby spell it out, cheesily. With the arrival of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine into New Zealand and the start of the roll-out to our border and isolation/quarantine workers and their families, we now … Read more
Got a friend who’s got it wrong about vaccination? Here’s how to set them right. Yesterday New Zealand provisionally approved use of the Pfizer vaccine, sparking a fresh burst of argument about Covid-19 vaccinations online. Many people have concerns about the vaccines and how they will impact people. I worked with Jo Kirman, associate professor … Read more
Jacinda Ardern calls 2021 the ‘year of the vaccine’ and New Zealand now has one it can use. Justin Giovannetti reports from the Beehive. New Zealand has given the green light to its first Covid-19 vaccine, with Medsafe announcing provisional approving for a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech that has become a cornerstone of the … Read more
Wondering why the Covid-19 vaccines were able to be developed so quickly? Fair enough, too. Let me explain, writes Joel Rindelaub. Under the headline “Why I wouldn’t give son vaccine yet”, the NZ Herald yesterday published a story questioning the safety of the latest Covid-19 vaccines. It was irresponsible reporting, and they have rightly removed … Read more
New Zealand has agreed to buy four Covid-19 vaccines, in volumes that are more than enough for everyone in New Zealand and for some of our Pacific neighbours too. Siouxsie Wiles on what yesterday’s announcement means, and what comes next. First a quick recap. There are lots of different ways to design a vaccine, which … Read more
What reasons did people list for opposing the vaccine? How does New Zealand stack up against the US? And what do we think about compulsory face mask-wearing? UMR Research executive director Stephen Mills on the company’s latest findings. An online survey by UMR from late November found 74% of New Zealanders said they were willing … Read more
The first people in the UK will be getting a Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, while in New Zealand, the wait could be for several more months. Here’s the government’s plan to vaccinate Aotearoa. Mass vaccination efforts against Covid-19 are underway around the world, but in New Zealand the government is asking for patience as the … Read more
Siouxsie Wiles explains why she immunises, and the commitment you make to the community when you do. My daughter was just a few days old when she received her first vaccination. She was born in a part of London where the BCG vaccine was routinely given to newborns to protect them from tuberculosis. Holding her … Read more
A potential Covid-19 vaccine is showing promising signs during overseas trials, and 1.5 million doses could arrive in New Zealand as early as the start of next year. A potential vaccination for Covid-19 that’s been tested on 44,000 people is being hailed a success as early trials show it working in 90% of patients. University … Read more
Simon Day shares some lessons from his first three months as a dad. When my twin boys were born on Boxing Day 2019, Corona was still just a beer. The first 12 weeks with our boys felt like a lifetime, and after seven weeks of lockdown, those first 12 weeks now feel like a lifetime … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Rumblings grow of a coup against Bridges, police dogs being set on people in mental distress, and government’s contact tracing app ready early. The long-threatened coup attempt at National leader Simon Bridges seems to be finally here. Many times over his tenure there have been murmurings … Read more
And can you spread it before symptoms start? Epidemiology expert C Raina MacIntyre on what we know so far. Cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have increased dramatically over the past week, prompting concerns about how contagious the virus is and how it spreads. According to the World Health Organisation, 16-21% of people with the virus … Read more
As the death toll grows, the immunisation campaign is crucial. At a time like this individuals spreading nonsense is downright dangerous, writes Madeleine Chapman. As of November 27, there have been 33 confirmed measles-related deaths in Sāmoa, 29 of them children. There have been 2,686 confirmed cases of measles in the current outbreak, in a … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Defence report outlines changing nature of Pacific threats, DHBs unaware of staff vaccination, and visitors desecrate Lake Waikaremoana. The Defence Force has released a report which outlines their views on the most important threats currently facing the Pacific. As Politik reports, it hasn’t necessarily been about singling out … Read more
It might be tempting to yell, but there are more effective ways to talk to doubters about the value of vaccines, write Julie Leask and Maryke Steffens. Your neighbour is telling you about his new baby. He feels nervous about vaccinating, and says he’s considering delaying Lucy’s vaccines. Your mother’s group is chatting about vaccines. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Measles cases grow as outbreak spreads, far fewer young people committing crimes compared to a decade ago, and DHB psychologist strike to deepen. This is what an outbreak looks like. Measles cases and stories are starting to pop up all over Auckland, and worryingly, spreading further … Read more
The outbreak of measles has reached a dangerous tipping point. What does ‘herd immunity’ mean, and why does that matter? Welcome to New Zealand, 2019, where 850 cases of measles have been reported since January and experts are warning of mass contaminations at sports tournaments and public gatherings. I’m writing this from Auckland, where at … Read more
Residents in Los Angeles and Orange County warned to check for symptoms after an infected NZ teen visited theme parks including Disneyland and Universal Studios earlier this month. Californian health authorities have issued warnings to residents and visitors after a New Zealand teenager was found to have spent five days in the US state while … Read more
The privilege many 21st-century parents think they have – to choose what illness will befall their children and how they will recover from it – is a relatively new phenomenon, writes historian Ayelet Zoran-Rosen Vaccines save lives. They have saved millions of lives in the last century, and the best proof of their success is the … Read more
Hannah McGowan once believed that vaccination was to blame for her chronic health issues, and refused to vaccinate her two young sons. Then she started to listen to the health professionals who know best. In 1999 I was 19 and utterly convinced that vaccines had given me Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is a living nightmare, the … Read more
A measles outbreak in Canterbury has prompted a rush for vaccinations and airtime for anti-science perspectives. Jess Berentson-Shaw explains how the media can report responsibly on the issue It is no secret, I love an effective vaccine. I love that all children can have a healthy childhood through the actions of both their own parents and … Read more
More and more cases of the scary spotty disease measles are popping up in the news. Here’s what you need to know about whether you’re in danger. Getting a serious dose of measles isn’t a pleasant experience. The symptoms are extremely not fun. Ear infections. Pneumonia. The wild shits. Your brain literally swelling so much … Read more
Inside a Facebook group where anti-vaxx propaganda is promoted as information for ‘informed consent’. Published 25 January, 2018 Not long after my son was born dry patches of irritated skin began to appear on his face. I lathered the little guy up with all types of oils and creams but nothing worked so, like most … Read more
The decision to remove the antivax signage in south Auckland is welcome, but it all points to a substantially bigger problem: trust in official advice, writes Dr Nikki Turner, director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at the University of Auckland There has been an outpouring of frustration around the country, generated by the installation of … Read more
Could the Dunning-Kruger effect – when individuals’ ignorance about a particular subject makes them believe they’re more expert than they are – be the reason for intractably anti-vax views? Three scientists tested the hypothesis. One of the most contentious areas of health policy over the past two decades has been the safety of vaccination. Vaccines … Read more
Threatening people who don’t vaccinate for HPV does more harm than good, writes Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw. I hate a cervical smear, I really do. I look forward to the day when I no longer have to endure that particular bloody awkward and painful part of owning a cervix. I mean really there really are few … Read more