BY KATHERINE SMITH    8 APRIL 2011        

On March 24, 2011, the Report of the Health Select Committee's Inquiry into "How to improve [increase] immunisation [vaccination] completion  rates" in New Zealand which was published on the parliamentary website. The government has 90 days (from March 24) to respond to the report.

The full report is posted at this link:
http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/

The Health Select Committee (under the leadership of Dr Paul Hutchison) has produced a report that not only recommends raising the targeted vaccination completion rate to 95% for NZ children aged 0-4.  It also proposes a target be set for 11 year olds.

The report also recommends that the government make children's enrollment at school and early childhood centres  dependent on parents producing proof of their children's vaccination status and – even more ominously – suggests that government consider linking "existing parental benefits" to vaccination.

If the government accepts the recommendations in the report, it appears that parents will be forced to choose whether their child has no vaccinations – or all vaccinations on the schedule in order to enroll in a school or early childhood education centre.  Eligibility for the 20 Hours Free Early Childhood Education may also be restricted to children who have had all recommended vaccinations (or whose parents have decided against vaccination) according to Page 33 of the Report.  Moreover, it is also possible that parents who do not comply with this "all or nothing" approach to vaccination (for example those who want their children to have some vaccines, but not others) may face financial penalties.