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May 28, 2003
U.S. IMMUNIZATION
NEWS
INTERNATIONAL
IMMUNIZATION NEWS
New Zealand to
Launch Immunization Register for Every Kid
Beginning next
year, New Zealand will implement a national immunization register involving
every infant born in the country. Officials want to make sure that all children
receive the required vaccinations, and they also hope to increase the
immunization rate from below 60 percent in some areas of the country to 95
percent. The registry will involve name, birthday, gender, national health
index number, ethnicity, contact information, doctor information, and a list of
vaccines received. The system will monitor these records and alert healthcare
workers if a vaccination schedule is missed. Parents will have the opportunity
to opt out of the program; however, the statistical data about their child would
remain, an official said.
DISCLAIMER: All
information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here is for
general information purposes only and is not to be construed as reflecting the
knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be construed or intended
as providing medical or legal advice. The decision whether or not to vaccinate
is an important and complex issue and should be made by you, and you alone, in
consultation with your health care provider.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
"What's the point of vaccination if it doesn't protect you from the unvaccinated?"
-- Sandy Gottstein
"Who gets to decide what the greater good is and how many will be sacrificed to it?"