[Meningococcal B immunisation programme director Jane O'Hallahan, said all
reactions would disappear within a few days."
Amazing she knows this - she must be God!]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3522349a11,00.html

2000 side-effect complaints over meningococcal immunisation

24 December 2005

The Healthy Ministry has had nearly 2000 reports of side-effects from the
country's mass meningococcal B immunisation campaign.

A ministry letter to health professionals says that by mid-November more
than 2.8 million doses of the vaccine were given with more than 996,000
people getting at least one dose.

Of 1957 reactions, the most frequent were irritation around the injection
site (796), skin reactions (740), fever (648) and gastronintestinal
symptoms (521).

Other side-effects were headaches, musculoskeletal pain, irritability,
fainting, sleepiness and seizures.

Meningococcal B immunisation programme director Jane O'Hallahan, said all
reactions would disappear within a few days.

She said the vaccine had been carefully tested and monitored. The safety
monitoring board had no concerns about vaccine safety after reviewing the
doses delivered. The campaign is due to end on June 30.

Of eight people under 20 who caught meningococcal B, six were immunised,
leading opponents to question the vaccine's effectiveness.

Auckland-based anti-immunisation campaigner Ron Law said the campaign
hadn't made any difference.

Waikato medical officer of health Anita Bell said that in 12 months from
November last year, Waitemata had 5.8 cases per 100,000, Auckland 4.9 and
Counties-Manukau 7.7.

By comparison, areas less advanced in their immunisation such as Waikato
had an incidence rate of 10.1 per 100,000 people. while Wairarapa was the
highest at 13.1.