King Distances Herself from Key MeNZB Advisor

Press Release

Minister Distances Herself from Key Meningococcal Advisor
Ron Law & Barbara Sumner Burstyn

"A bewildered Minister of Health referred to the Ministry of Health Principal Meningococcal Advisor as a mere GP on Linda Clark's Nine to Noon radio programme today," say risk and policy analyst, Ron Law, and writer/researcher Barbara Sumner Burstyn.

Annette King said on air that she could not be held accountable for comments made by GPs, and yet Dr Reid is the Principal Meningococcal Advisor to the Ministry of Health.

Dr Reid has said in a document circulated by the MOH via email to Pro-MeNZB health workers that, the MeNZB(tm) vaccine "offers a high level of protection against the epidemic strain that is expected to last for several years," but then says, "The efficacy of the vaccine and the duration of protection following vaccination are, at present, unknown."

Paradoxically, the Ministry of Health is telling the public that the MeNZB(tm) vaccine works and will protect children from meningococcal disease.

According to the application for Clinical Trial V60P4, Dr Reid was a clinical investigator for Chiron in one of its MeNZB(tm) trials and was undertaking the research for Chiron in his position as a member of the vaccine subcommittee of the Minister's Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee.

We are not surprised at the Minister's guarded response and would expect any Royal Commission of Inquiry called for in our Meningococcal Gold Rush, Second Edition, on Scoop at http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0505/S00352.htm, to address the issue of what appear to be significant undisclosed competing interests.

The cover page of Clinical Trial Application-V60P4 is available on request.

ENDS

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