Warnings About Vaccination Expectations NZ

Last updated
Warnings About Vaccination Expectations NZ
AbbreviationWAVESnz
Formation1988
PurposeAnti-vaccination campaigning and information [1]
Website http://www.wavesnz.org.nz
Formerly called
Immunisation Awareness Society (IAS)

Warnings About Vaccination Expectations NZ (WAVESnz), formerly the Immunisation Awareness Society (IAS), [2] is a New Zealand anti-vaccination lobby group.

Contents

It was a registered charity until 3 September 2012, when the New Zealand Charities Registration Board determined that the Immunisation Awareness Society Incorporated was not qualified for registration as a charitable entity and that it was in the public interest that be removed from the Charities Register. The Board stated that "IAS disseminates information that is not factual and falls well short of acceptable standards in the area of health education." [3]

Activities

Campaign against the meningococcal vaccine

In the Early 2000s, the IAS was noted as spreading meningococcal misinformation based on fraudulent scientific studies. [4] In 2004, during a meningococcal disease outbreak ISAM spokesperson Sue Claridge, made claims that the vaccine was not working or that "Health officials were also overstating the prevalence of the disease". [5] In the same article, the Northland District Health Board, Medical Officer of Health, Dr Jonathan Jarman, stated these claims are "erroneous". By 2004, New Zealand was in the thirteenth year of an epidemic of meningococcal disease, a bacterial infection which can cause meningitis and blood poisoning. Most Western countries have fewer than three cases for every 100,000 people each year. With New Zealand averaging 1.5 before the epidemic started in 1991, by 2001, the worst year of the epidemic in the country, the rate hit 1.7. Five thousand four hundred New Zealanders had caught the disease, 220 had died, and 1080 had suffered serious disabilities, such as limb amputations or brain damage. Eight out of 10 victims were under 20 and half were under 5 years of age. The internationally low proportion of deaths from the disease had been credited to wide publicity of the disease and its symptoms. In June 2004, Charlotte Cleverley-Bisman became the face of the epidemic. [6]

Campaign against the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine

During a 2011 whooping cough epidemic, IAS spokeswoman Michelle Rudgley went on record in the Otago Daily Times with the statement "One day they are really going to have to accept that the pertussis whooping cough vaccine is useless and no matter how many boosters you have it is not going to stop the occurrence of whooping cough and the best bet is for parents to educate themselves on how to look after their children should they develop it". [7] Evidence has shown that the acellular vaccine is 84% efficacious, [8] and prevents 99.8% of infant hospital admissions after a completing a full course of three doses of the vaccine. [9]

Actions against the New Zealand Measles Control Campaign 2009

In July 2009, during a measles epidemic, IAS spokeswoman Michelle Rudgley said "the Canterbury situation proved the ineffectiveness of vaccines... parents had been deceived by the pro-vaccination lobby to believe immunization was safe and could totally protect their children against diseases". [10] Independent data shows that measles causes the most preventable mortality of any disease, yet despite there being an effective vaccine, the researchers concluded that "30 to 40 million people worldwide still develop measles annually." [11] The World Health Organization confirmed these concerns but noted that "during 2000-2018, measles vaccination prevented an estimated 23.2 million deaths [worldwide] making measles vaccine one of the best buys in public health." [12] Before immunization in the United States between three and four million cases occurred each year, and the fatality rate is approximately 0.2% of those infected, [13] most of those who are infected and who die are less than five years old. [14]

Defense of Andrew Wakefield and Vaxxed

In 2017, the group promoted the anti-vaccination propaganda film, Vaxxed , produced by the discredited anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield, the instigator of the Lancet MMR autism fraud. Paediatric Society President Dr David Newman: "it is taking a view that supports incorrect scientific principle. In fact, there is no link between MMR vaccine ... and autistic spectrum disorders". [15] Ian Lipkin, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, writing in The Wall Street Journal , said "If Vaxxed had been submitted as science fiction, it would merit attention for its storyline, character development and dialogue. But as a documentary it misrepresents what science knows about autism, undermines public confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and attacks the integrity of legitimate scientists and public-health officials". [16]

Anti-vaccination Billboard

In October 2018, the group funded an anti-vaccine billboard that was raised in the Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu, close to Middlemore Hospital. [17] Due to its misleading content, the billboard became "Most Complained About Ad" in 2018 and was removed by the advertising company within 24 hours. [18] [19] 145 Complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority which upheld the complaints with the authority ruling "the advertisement was misleading as the likely consumer takeout that vaccination is not safe was not sufficiently substantiated by the Advertiser, the advertisement unjustifiably played on fear and was socially irresponsible." While Immunisation Advisory Centre research director, Dr Helen Petousis-Harris said "the billboard perpetuated the myth there are concealed issues with what's in vaccines, which is most unhelpful and quite untrue". [20]

Other Activities

In 2019, an anti-vaccine midwife organization, Authentic Resistance, run by Waves spokesperson, Erin Hudson [21] [22] planned an event spreading anti-vaccine content a short distance from a hospital that was operating a measles ward during the NZ Measles epidemic. The outbreak then spread from Samoa to New Zealand and caused the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak which caused 5,700 cases and 83 deaths. [23]

Complaints, investigations and criticisms

IAS has been criticized by a number of scientists and medical professionals. [24] [25] [26] This organization makes inaccurate claims contrary to scientific consensus, which says that vaccines are safe and effective. [24] The group has been criticized for failing to fulfill their own stated mission of providing parents with material to make an informed decision. Instead, the group provided only anti-vaccination material, without the balance of pro-vaccination material that would be required for truly informed consent. [25] In fact, it was this shortcoming that led the New Zealand Charities Registration Board to revoke IAS's charitable organisation status in September 2012, citing them for promoting a point of view rather than educating the public, as their charitable charter required. [3]

Subsequent to its deregistration as a charity, the Society renamed itself WAVES NZ (Warnings About Vaccine Expectations). [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whooping cough</span> Human disease caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by two or three months of severe coughing fits. Following a fit of coughing, a high-pitched whoop sound or gasp may occur as the person breathes in. The violent coughing may last for 10 or more weeks, hence the phrase "100-day cough". The cough may be so hard that it causes vomiting, rib fractures, and fatigue. Children less than one year old may have little or no cough and instead have periods where they cannot breathe. The incubation period is usually seven to ten days. Disease may occur in those who have been vaccinated, but symptoms are typically milder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DPT vaccine</span> Combination vaccine

The DPT vaccine or DTP vaccine is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. The vaccine components include diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and either killed whole cells of the bacterium that causes pertussis or pertussis antigens. The term toxoid refers to vaccines which use an inactivated toxin produced by the pathogen which they are targeted against to generate an immune response. In this way, the toxoid vaccine generates an immune response which is targeted against the toxin which is produced by the pathogen and causes disease, rather than a vaccine which is targeted against the pathogen itself. The whole cells or antigens will be depicted as either "DTwP" or "DTaP", where the lower-case "w" indicates whole-cell inactivated pertussis and the lower-case "a" stands for "acellular". In comparison to alternative vaccine types, such as live attenuated vaccines, the DTP vaccine does not contain any live pathogen, but rather uses inactivated toxoid to generate an immune response; therefore, there is not a risk of use in populations that are immune compromised since there is not any known risk of causing the disease itself. As a result, the DTP vaccine is considered a safe vaccine to use in anyone and it generates a much more targeted immune response specific for the pathogen of interest.

MeNZB was a vaccine against a specific strain of group B meningococcus, used to control an epidemic of meningococcal disease in New Zealand. Most people are able to carry the meningococcus bacteria safely with no ill effects. However, meningococcal disease can cause meningitis and sepsis, resulting in brain damage, failure of various organs, severe skin and soft-tissue damage, and death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccination schedule</span> Series of vaccinations

A vaccination schedule is a series of vaccinations, including the timing of all doses, which may be either recommended or compulsory, depending on the country of residence. A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to produce active immunity to a disease, in order to prevent or reduce the effects of infection by any natural or "wild" pathogen. Vaccines go through multiple phases of trials to ensure safety and effectiveness.

<i>Bordetella pertussis</i> Species of bacterium causing pertussis or whooping cough

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative, aerobic, pathogenic, encapsulated coccobacillus of the genus Bordetella, and the causative agent of pertussis or whooping cough. Like B. bronchiseptica, B. pertussis can express a flagellum-like structure, even if it has been historically categorized as a nonmotile bacteria. Its virulence factors include pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin, filamentous hæmagglutinin, pertactin, fimbria, and tracheal cytotoxin.

Immunization during pregnancy is the administration of a vaccine to a pregnant individual. This may be done either to protect the individual from disease or to induce an antibody response, such that the antibodies cross the placenta and provide passive immunity to the infant after birth. In many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, vaccination against influenza, COVID-19 and whooping cough is routinely offered during pregnancy.

A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by State or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or schools. Many policies have been developed and implemented since vaccines were first made widely available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pertussis vaccine</span> Vaccine protecting against whooping cough

Pertussis vaccine is a vaccine that protects against whooping cough (pertussis). There are two main types: whole-cell vaccines and acellular vaccines. The whole-cell vaccine is about 78% effective while the acellular vaccine is 71–85% effective. The effectiveness of the vaccines appears to decrease by between 2 and 10% per year after vaccination with a more rapid decrease with the acellular vaccines. The vaccine is only available in combination with tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. Pertussis vaccine is estimated to have saved over 500,000 lives in 2002.

The Australian Vaccination-risks Network Inc., formerly known as the Australian Vaccination-Skeptics Network (AVsN), and before that known as the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), is an Australian anti-vaccination pressure group registered in New South Wales. As Australia's most controversial anti-vaccination organisation, it has lobbied against a variety of vaccination-related programs, downplayed the danger of childhood diseases such as measles and pertussis, championed the cause of alleged vaccination victims, and promoted the use of ineffective alternatives such as homeopathy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetanus vaccine</span> Vaccines used to prevent tetanus

Tetanus vaccine, also known as tetanus toxoid (TT), is a toxoid vaccine used to prevent tetanus. During childhood, five doses are recommended, with a sixth given during adolescence.

Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) is a vaccination programme launched by the Government of India in 1985. It became a part of Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme in 1992 and is currently one of the key areas under the National Health Mission since 2005. The programme now consists of vaccination for 12 diseases- tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, hepatitis B, rotaviral gastroenteritis, Japanese encephalitis, rubella, pneumonia and Pneumococcal diseases. Hepatitis B and Pneumococcal diseases were added to the UIP in 2007 and 2017 respectively. The cost of all the vaccines are borne entirely by the Government of India and is funded through taxes with a budget of ₹7,234 crore (US$910 million) in 2022 and the program covers all residents of India, including foreign residents.

The Vaccine Damage Payment is a provision of the welfare state in the United Kingdom that provides a payment of £120,000, as of 2023, for people who can show that they have suffered a vaccine injury.

DTaP-IPV/Hib vaccine is a 5-in-1 combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak</span> Measles epidemic affecting New Zealand

The 2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak was an epidemic that affected New Zealand, primarily the Auckland region. The outbreak was the worst epidemic in New Zealand since an influenza epidemic in 1999, and is the worst measles epidemic since 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Samoa measles outbreak</span> Measles epidemic in Samoa in late 2019

The 2019 Samoa measles outbreak began in September 2019. As of 6 January 2020, there were over 5,700 cases of measles and 83 deaths, out of a Samoan population of 200,874. Over three per cent of the population were infected. The cause of the outbreak was attributed to decreased vaccination rates, from 74% in 2017 to 31–34% in 2018, even though nearby islands had rates near 99%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Immunisation Program Schedule</span>

The Australian National Immunisation Program Schedule sets out the immunisations Australians are given at different stages in their life. The program aims to reduce the number of preventable disease cases in Australia by increasing national immunisation coverage. The program starts for an Australian when they are born. Vaccinations are given at birth, then again when the baby is 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months. The immunisation schedule continues when the child is 4 years old, and then into adolescent years. The program is not compulsory and parents have the choice if they want their child vaccinated.

Nicola Mary Turner is a New Zealand public health advocate who is a Professor at the University of Auckland and Medical Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre, an organisation that advises the New Zealand medical profession and the New Zealand Government. She has contributed to advisory committees for the New Zealand Ministry of Health, is a spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group and works in general practice. Much of her research and outreach has focused on improving immunisation coverage and closing equity gaps for the national schedule vaccine delivery in New Zealand and she has commented publicly on these issues during COVID-19 in New Zealand.

Helen Aspasia Petousis-Harris is a New Zealand vaccinologist and associate professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Auckland. She has been involved in research related to vaccination in New Zealand since 1998, with her main areas of focus being vaccine safety and effectiveness. Petousis-Harris has had a variety of lead roles in New Zealand and international organisations that focus on vaccination and is a regular media spokesperson in this field, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) is a New Zealand-wide organisation which provides information and training about immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases to health care professionals, government bodies, and individuals. It co-ordinates the nation's immunisation programmes, policy advice and research. It was launched in 1997, and is based at The University of Auckland.

Light for Riley is a public health campaign with the aim of increasing awareness of the disease Whooping cough (Pertussis) and improving vaccination rates. It was founded by Catherine and Greg Hughes in 2015, after they lost their baby Riley to the disease.

References

  1. ↑ Heather, Ben (7 November 2012). "Charity group deregistered for lobbying". The Dominion Post. Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "The IAS Has A New Name". WAVESnz. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Deregistration Decision: The Immunisation Awareness Society Incorporated" (PDF). New Zealand Charities Registration Board. 3 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Hansford, Dave. "Science in the time of post-truth". New Zealand Geographic. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  5. ↑ ""Medical expert issues warning - vaccine not guaranteed to work"". New Zealand Herald. Northern Advocate. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Johnston, Martin (11 July 2004). "Tracking down a killer disease". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
  7. ↑ Goodwin, Ellen (6 October 2011). "Whooping cough vaccination 'cocooning' call". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Greco, D; Salmaso S; Mastrantonio P; Giuliano M; Tozzi AE; Anemona A; et al. (1996). "A Controlled Trial of Two Acellular Vaccines and One Whole-Cell Vaccine against Pertussis". The New England Journal of Medicine. 334 (6): 341–48. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199602083340601 . PMID   8538704. S2CID   38807207.
  9. ↑ Juretzko, P; von Kries R; Wirsing von Konig CH; Weil J; Giani G. (2002). "Effectiveness of Acellular Pertussis Vaccine assessed by Hospital-Based Active Surveillance in Germany". Clinical Infectious Diseases. Germany. 35 (2): 162–67. doi: 10.1086/341027 . PMID   12087522.
  10. ↑ Thomas, Kim (21 July 2009). "Failure of vaccine suspected". Stuff. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Kabra, SK; Lodhra, R (14 August 2013). "Antibiotics for preventing complications in children with measles". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 8 (8): CD001477. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001477.pub4. PMC   7055587 . PMID   23943263.
  12. ↑ "Measles". World Health Organization. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Atkinson, William (2011). Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (12 ed.). Public Health Foundation. pp. 301–23. ISBN   978-0983263135 . Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Measles Fact sheet N°286". World Health Organization . November 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Johnston, Martin. "Anti-vaccination movie by struck-off doctor to be shown at secret Auckland location". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  16. ↑ Lipkin, W. Ian (2016-04-03). "Anti-Vaccination Lunacy Won't Stop". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  17. ↑ "Anti-vaccination group accused of preying on Māori and Pacific people with controversial billboard". Television New Zealand. One News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Satherly, Dan. "Anti-vax billboard tops list of most-complained about adverts of 2018". Newshub. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  19. ↑ Clent, Danielle (18 October 2018). "146 complaints about anti-vaccination billboard upheld by advertising watchdog". Stuff. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  20. ↑ 146
  21. ↑ Duff, Michelle (September 2019). "Anti-vaxxers target new parents, while others nurse their critically ill kids". Stuff. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Measles outbreak: Auckland midwifery centre to host anti-vaxxer". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  23. ↑ "Two more deaths from measles in Samoa over New Year period". Radio New Zealand. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  24. 1 2 "A Critique by the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) of the Immunisation Awareness Society brochure "What's all the fuss about?"". Immunisation Advisory Centre. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  25. 1 2 Edmonds, Michael (20 December 2012). "The Hypocrisy of the Immunisation "Awareness" Society". SciBlogs. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  26. ↑ "Comments and Opinion: Immunisation Awareness Society". www.ratbags.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  27. ↑ Duff, Michelle (18 February 2014). "Measles myths blamed for outbreaks". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
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