Two health unions are calling for the Ministry of Health and Pharmac to step up and organise fast-track approval, funding, purchase and distribution of vaccines which protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association (NZRDA), representing 3000 resident doctors and the APEX Union, representing 6000 allied, scientific and technical health professionals are asking for expedited processes to get RSV vaccines into the arms of at risk New Zealanders to keep more New Zealanders healthy over winter and out of hospital.
“Our public hospitals are under immense pressure; we should be doing everything we can to reduce that pressure.” said Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary of NZRDA and APEX. “Just as we have ‘flu and Covid vaccination programmes, we would expect to see the Ministry of Health and Pharmac working efficiently to get RSV vaccines deployed for those at risk in New Zealand”.
RSV is a major driver of seasonal respiratory illness and causes 2,000 hospitalisations of children under 5 each year at an estimated cost of $25million a year [1]. Over the last month PHF Science has been tracking RSV, the second most common virus detected among hospitalisations in the Auckland region. Yet there appears to be little to no alacrity being applied to get new and effective vaccines, such as those approved and funded in Australia, to New Zealand.
Immunisations exist for our most at-risk, including the elderly, immunocompromised adults, pregnant women and infants, and are at various stages of consideration by Medsafe but not funded by Pharmac.
“Keeping our health system together requires more than just hoping for the best,” said Dr Deborah Powell. “We need to proactively adopt all the tools we can to help reduce the burden of disease on our people and our system. Making RSV vaccinations available and free would be one important means to do this.” concluded Dr Powell.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Dr. Deborah Powell
APEX National Secretary
Phone: 021 614 040
Email: secretary@apex.org.nz
[1] Protecting NZ infants from RSV: The case for universal immunisation | PHCC