Helen Petousis Harris
Health Ministry sitting on measles advice for more than a year
Doctors and infectious disease experts are meeting with Health Ministry officials tomorrow to push for urgent action on dealing with a big gap in measles immunity among young people. Audio
Reassurances to Samoans from expert - MMR vaccinations are safe
A vaccination expert is reassuring Samoan families concerned about measles immunisations that vaccines are safe and warns against listening to unqualified speakers preying on their fears and wallets.
…Samoa measles immunisations due to restart in April
Samoa's Ministry of Health is preparing health professionals and families for the restart of the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccinations in early April. Audio
Measles immunity in question for some Kiwis
As the measles outbreak in Canterbury hits 25, there's a warning that some New Zealanders might not be as immune to the disease as they think are. Health officials are estimating that up to… Audio
Push against anti-vaxxers
A huge new study of more than half a million children found no link between the measles, mumps and rubella vacination and autism. Despite this, the author of the discredited study Andrew Wakfields… Audio
Canterbury hospitals on measles alert
The Canterbury District Health Board is on high alert after three people contracted the highly infectious disease measles in four days. The disease is potentially fatal and one person remains in… Audio
Facebook: a vehicle for anti-vaccination movement.
Disturbing figures released last week by the World Health Organisation shows a big increase in the number of reported measels cases. In Europe, the number of cases went from 5,273 in 2016 , to 25,863… Audio
Medical error may have caused Samoa infant deaths
A vaccinologist and senior lecturer at Auckland University says there is a high likelihood medical error was to blame for the deaths of two infants in Samoa following their MMR vaccinations. Audio
How many children missing out on HPV vaccine ?
The latest Ministry of Health figures show 73 schools have refused to take part in the free school HPV immunisation programme, which protects against cervical and genital cancers and some forms of… Audio
Worst mumps outbreak in 23 years
University of Auckland senior lecturer in vaccinology Helen Petousis-Harris tells Kathryn Ryan a mumps outbreak in Auckland could get worse. Our biggest city is facing its worst outbreak of the virus… Audio
Australia adopts "no jab no pay" policy for vaccinations
The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has announced parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will be denied up to 15-thousand dollars in childcare rebates Audio
Measles outbreak in Waikato linked to Wakefield paper
Public health officials say the recent measles outbreak in Waikato can be linked in part to a since discredited 1998 research paper by British doctor Andrew Wakefield linking the MMR vaccine to… Audio
