Vaccines
Worried mother: Anti-vaxxers the 'ugliest form of privilege'
A Canterbury mother of an 8-month-old who is too young to be immunised against measles is calling anti-vaxers the ugliest form of privilege. George Cullen says she's angry people would chose to put… Video, Audio
More measles cases likely in Canterbury, officials say
The number of confirmed cases of measles in Canterbury has climbed to 25 and authorities say further cases are likely given that the disease is circulating widely in the community. Audio
25 confirmed cases of measles in Canterbury
Nine thousand extra doses of a measles vaccine are due to arrive in Canterbury tomorrow as the number of confirmed cases rises to 25. Medical officer of health Dr Ramon Pink joins Checkpoint live. Audio
Vaccine boost as measles cases rise in Canterbury
Thousands of MMR vaccines are being delivered to Canterbury as its measles outbreak widens to 20 confirmed cases this weekend.
Parents want MenW vaccines for kids, but supplies are dry
Family doctors have run out of supplies of a meningitis vaccine amid rising worry about the nasty meningococcal W strain in Northland. Health Correspondent Karen Brown reports. Audio
Mother hopes vaccination programme will save lives
Whangarei mother Rowshae Albert has been pushing for a nationwide vaccination programme after her daughter Alexis died from the disease earlier this year. She told Lisa Owen she's overwhelmed at news… Video, Audio
Health warnings for Bali travellers increased
Health dangers a bit close to home. Australians have ben warned about travelling to Bali with a spike in cases of Japanese encephalitis, a deadly mosquito-borne brain disease. And Indonesia also seems… Audio
Drones to be trialed for vaccine transport in Vanuatu
Two companies have been contracted to trial drones that could one day fly vaccines to children in remote parts of Vanuatu. Audio
Anti-vaccination billboard taken down following complaints
An anti-vaccination billboard in South Auckland has been taken down just days after going up, after the Advertising Standards Authority received 140 complaints. Were the decision and process up to… Audio
How many children missing out on HPV vaccine ?
The latest Ministry of Health figures show 73 schools have refused to take part in the free school HPV immunisation programme, which protects against cervical and genital cancers and some forms of… Audio
Extra mumps jabs to combat epidemic
Hundreds of thousands of young Aucklanders will be offered mumps vaccinations as the Ministry of Health steps in to help fight an epidemic of the disease. Audio
The Vaccine Race
'The Vaccine Race' is a history of our fight against viral diseases. In the book, journalist Meredith Wadman tells the story of a major breakthrough in cell biology that remains important to this… Audio
Learning to live with bad bugs
The fight against antibiotic resistance is a fight against evolution, and sadly it's not a war we're ever going to win. Our approach so far has been to kill the bad bugs, waging a war on pathogens… Audio
Ian Frazer: HPV vaccine and beyond
One of the most successful vaccines of modern times is the HPV vaccine, Gardasil - now used in 130 countries. It has halved the number of new cervical cancers. Professor Ian Frazer was the co-inventor… Audio
Q&A on vaccinations
Nikki Turner of the Immunisation Advisory Centre answers some questions about vaccinations. Audio
Mother who lost baby pleads for 'no jab, no play' laws
An Australian mother whose infant son died from whooping cough is pushing for all states in Australia to require children to be immunised to enrol in childcare centres. Video, Audio
Banning Unvaccinated Kids
Australia is considering banning unvaccinated kids from early childcare centres and preschools. Some Australian states already have "no jab, no play" laws, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has… Audio
Anti-cancer vaccine now free for boys
The anti-cancer vaccine Gardasil will be free for all boys and girls, and access to a vaccine against chicken pox will be widened.
Fast vaccines
How feeling good rather than stressed out or depressed can give your immune system a boost. Plus a gene discovered in bacteria that harnesses the full power of sunlight could be used to increase crop… Audio
Science: Zika vaccine and gene editing herpes
Dr Chris Smith with science news and this week the prospect of gene editing the herpes virus out of existence. Also new vaccines against the Zika virus might not be too far away. Audio