Disadvantaged children of Māori and Pacific origin in New Zealand carry an inequitable burden of infectious diseases, many of which are preventable, some by vaccine. Immunisation is recognised in the developing world as a cheap, effective and efficient means of reducing inequalities. The MeNZB immunisation programme delivered in 2004-2006 towards the expected natural end of a projected 15-year epidemic appears to have had an effect (difficult to prove conclusively) on reducing the disproportionate burden of meningococcal disease carried by this group of children. It was delayed by the late engagement of the New Zealand Ministry of Health, fully briefed from 1996, leading to unnecessary and potentially avoidable deaths and sequelae, many lifelong. Further, failure to adequately assess vaccine effectiveness means that the contribution of MeNZB to the observed reduction in disease, particularly in those aged less than five years, will never be reliably known. However, the MeNZB campaign has at least left a legacy: the National Immunisation Register, which should enable New Zealand to minimise the 'vaccine inverse care law' and contribute to reducing ethnic inequity in the burden of vaccine preventable diseases.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
1
3%
Other
3
10%
Unknown
5
16%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 02 August 2013.
All research outputs
#28,601,215
of 34,360,889 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health
#3,228
of 3,958 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#164,804
of 188,856 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health
#35
of 46 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,360,889 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 9th percentile – i.e., 9% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,958 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.9. This one is in the 6th percentile – i.e., 6% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 188,856 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 6th percentile – i.e., 6% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 46 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 10th percentile – i.e., 10% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
