The New Zealand MeNZ B vaccination programme has proved to be controversial from the start.  We know now that

1) The vaccine's effectiveness frequently only lasts for months - if it even occurs - even with a fourth dose for infants, and 

2) Both parents and medical doctors were kept in the dark about this crucial limitation to the benefits of the vaccine, having been led to believe that the vaccinations would provide protection for many years to come.

This is only the latest in a long line of serious issues raised about this vaccination programme.  Tat questions why $250M of scarce health money was essentially wasted, and where this leaves our trust in the decision making and judgement of the authorities involved.  Just to give you an idea of how much $250M is worth to the health system: it's literally enough to build a brand new public hospital for Wellington. 

Click here to download the .pdf of his opinion piece appearing in The Star, Dunedin's weekly community newspaper, July 31, 2008.  Please feel free to forward this on to friends and family.