Medical License Breached
Media Release
Ron Law
Risk & Policy Analyst
"The Minister of Health needs to explain to the public why the Ministry of Health deliberately withheld information from
parents that was a condition of the license of the experimental drug, MeNZB," says risk & policy analyst Ron Law.
Documents received under the Official Information Act show that on August 3 2004, the Ministry of Health's Director of
the MeNZB campaign was advised, in writing, (see attachment) that a condition of the MeNZB license required the consent
form to be amended to include the fact that the Minister's own expert advisory committee was so concerned about the lack
of efficacy information relating the the experimental drug, MeNZB, that a condition of the license to use MeZNB was that
parents were advised of that concern.
Can the Minister please explain to the parents of New Zealand children why Dr O'Hallahan ignored that important
condition of the license?
Can the Minister also explain upon what basis one of Chiron's own researchers, Dr Stewart Reid, writing in his capacity
as a GP and an "Advisor to the Meningococcal Vaccine Strategy," wrote a document (see attachment) that was contrary to
the findings of the Minister's own committee (which he took part in) when he reassured health professionals, "Key
Message: The MeNZB vaccine targets the epidemic strain of meningococcal disease in New Zealand and offers a high level
of protection against the epidemic strain that is expected to last for several years."... and "In summary - The MeNZB
vaccine targets the epidemic strain of meningococcal disease in New Zealand and offers a high level of protection
against the epidemic strain that is expected to last for several years.?"
Attached: