Government Response to measles epidemic a national joke: Maori Council

The New Zealand Maori Council has called the handling of the measles outbreak across New Zealand an absolute dogs breakfast and slammed the Governments patch work response. Matthew Tukaki, Executive Director of the Council has said the prevention approach has waned, the controls that should have been in place have obviously failed and we ae seeking mass suspensions from schools – and the lives of children are at risk.

“This has to be a national joke. Can someone please explain what the national strategy for vaccination actually is and where is the messaging and campaigns around immunization? Even at our boarders all you see is the odd A4 to seek help if you have a fever and not something more specific when it became clear kiwis or tourists were coming back from overseas infected.” Tukaki said

“Then we have schools who obviously don’t have up to date records on who has been immunized and who hasn’t at the same time the Ministry is not exactly specifically encouraging parents to immunize children. Does anyone else think it’s a joke that we now have “pop-up” immunization “shops” popping up in schools?” Tukaki said

“The facts and the accepted truth around vaccination and the anti-vax movement are there for all to see but time and time again we see this quietly she goes approach from a Ministry of Health who quite obviously were asleep at the wheel or at worse have no idea what they are doing. We are a relatively small country and there is no way this outbreak should have got out of hand.” Tukaki said

“This is what Maori have been saying for a long time. We are expected to trust the Ministry of Health and yet time and time again they have let us down – if we are to improve the rates of immunization then Maori, Iwi and Hapu should take it on and be funded to do it. The Maori Council well remembers the typhoid epidemic in New Zealand where it ended up being Maori trained nurses that worked with our communities to get us through one of the largest health challenges in New Zealand history.” Tukaki said

“Lets face it – whoever was in charge of this hoha / nonsense in the Ministry should be sacked and the Minister should start to get his junior Minister into line – because she obviously has no idea what she is doing.” Tukaki said

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