MMR vaccination

Samoa improving vaccine safety after deaths - Nurses' Association

The two one-year-old babies died after receiving doses of the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine which were incorrectly mixed with an expired anaesthetic.

The deaths prompted Samoa to suspend all vaccination for three months and damaged public trust in vaccines across the region, including in New Zealand.

On Friday, two nurses who administered the vaccine were jailed for five years. Lana Samuelu and Lameko Sui had pleaded guilty to negligence causing the manslaughter of the infants.

Training and preparation underway in Samoa for restart of MMR vaccinations

The immunisation programme was suspended for several months after the deaths of two children last July following their MMR vaccinations.

Pacific Representative Sheldon Yett said public hesitancy was understandable after such an event, but active outreaches and community education was underway to try and lift the immunisation rates in Samoa.

He said the Samoan government was very eager to get the MMR vaccinations back up and running as current international measles outbreaks mean the introduction of the disease to the country could be just a plane ride away.

Expert reassures Samoans MMR vaccinations are safe

The full outcome of an inquiry into the death of two children following MMR vaccination in Samoa last year is still unknown and a court case is ongoing.

A vaccinologist at the University of Auckland, Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, said measles was an extremely infectious disease and preventative vaccines were completely safe.

She said the Samoan community had likely lost some trust in health professionals after last year's events that appear to involve human error but news of a visit to Samoa by speakers with anti-vaccine views was a public health threat.

Calls to restart vaccinations in Samoa

The programme was stopped after the one year olds died following injections for measles, mumps and rubella.

The nurses made their submission on Wednesday to a Commission of Inquiry into the deaths.

Commission members asked about a loss of trust in health professionals and the vaccines and the Ministry of Health told them safety measures are in place to resume the programme.

RNZ Pacific reports the commission was awaiting post mortem results before it resumed the programme.

Samoan medical staff could be charged over infant deaths

The two one-year-olds died after receiving the jab against measles, mumps and rubella at Safotu District Hospital on the island of Savai'i.

Samoa uses an MMR vaccine assessed and approved by the World Health Organization and distributed by the UN children's agency UNICEF.

New Zealand's Immunisation Advisory Centre said while the vaccine was extremely safe, medical error or contamination were the two most likely causes of the tragedy.