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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: Oamaru House, power and talking rubbish
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including Oamaru House, power supply and talking rubbish. Oamaru House offers vital support for many People from all walks of life across North Otago, Southland, and Central Otago have relied on Oamaru House during some of their most vulnerable moments. This stress-free accommodation, located conveniently close to Dunedin Hospital, has offered more than just a place to stay - it has been a home away from home. The potential loss of Oamaru House would be deeply felt, not only by those who use it now, but also by future patients and families who depend on the certainty and comfort it provides. In a time when so many aspects of life are becoming increasingly hard to navigate, especially during medical crises, Oamaru House has consistently been a source of relief. I've always found it reassuring to simply make a call, book a room, and know I'll have a safe place to stay within walking distance of the hospital, with parking onsite. That one simple convenience removes a major layer of stress when facing far greater challenges. We cannot afford to lose this vital support. I urge everyone to remain open-minded and supportive of any collaborative efforts that may arise to ensure this much-needed service can continue for the people who rely on it. Linda Wilson Oamaru Penalty excessive As a Pakeha, I fully support Te Pati Māori doing a haka in response to the appalling judgement of the government regarding the Treaty Principles Bill. The 21-day suspension is excessive in an institution that is a product of colonisation and which has breached the Treaty of Waitangi many times. It mirrors the lengthy history of disproportionate punishment Māori have endured that has entrenched inequity and institutionalised racism. There is a lengthy list of government MPs whose behaviour has been appalling but the only consequences have been a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket. The punching down will continue with the Regulatory Standards Bill. This is a dangerous piece of legislation that I hope millions of us will oppose by sending in submissions. The government appears to want Aotearoa New Zealand to be an oligarchy so those annoying bottom-feeders won't get in the way of enriching their wealthy mates. Lou Scott Dunedin Think of the future I see Radio NZ has picked up on climate change scientists accusing the government of ''ignoring scientific evidence''. This is a worry as Kiwis need to invest in the future, not a dead-end delusion. The $15 million upgrade for Milford Sound Fiordland is a case in point, but then the money is easily and most likely to be absorbed in lawyers and consultants before any improvements can be built. It is a shame that this government could not take the job of governing well as seriously as punitive punishment for people they deem unworthy. When you have the privilege of power you should try to do a good job navigating the world's potential hazards. Please don't just give up on the right direction. Aaron Nicholson Manapouri Power supply going right down to the wire I have been following the growth projections and associated infrastructure issues in the Wakatipu basin with respect to the power supply. The only power supply to Queenstown is supplied from the national grid at Cromwell to Frankton, Queenstown. The supply consists of two 110kV lines sharing single towers along the route. Every time I travel through the Nevis Bluff I look with some trepidation at the towers located above this bluff prone to failure. In engineering we design critical infrastructure with a factor of N-1. This is a security rating, i.e. if N = 2 and if you lose 1, there is still 1 remaining. This is true for the individual lines but not the tower line. This exposes Queenstown to a total blackout should the towers fail due to an earthquake or rock fall. PowerNet is installing larger transformers at Frankton to supply the increased load. To supply them, PowerNet is increasing the temperature rating of the lines. What this means is the lines are going to be redesigned to allow for changed design parameters due to increased line sags due to higher current flow. The change in tower forces will be calculated and structure changes made but this does not address the N-1 risk. Steve Tilleyshort (Retired engineer) Mosgiel A very proud Southlander talks rubbish In reply to Cr Vandervis' letter (4.6.25) where he gives AB Lime some great free advertising and indicates Dunedin is doing Southlanders a favour by sending us their waste. There is money to be made from waste. Yipee, it's coming to Southland. Yes, isn't it great Southland has businessmen and women with foresight who can also provide employment for many of its residents and can get on with a job? Perhaps we have a more enabling council. But one has to remember that every truckload of waste from outside of the province that comes into our landfill is one less of ours in the long term. But I am sure our enterprising businessmen/women have this all factored into their equations because a 200-year timeframe can suddenly whittle away. Dunedin ratepayers and residents really need to start asking questions of their representatives and getting them to challenge/ask pertinent questions of council staff because having an item of the table or being bandied about for 32 years is rather a long time. Yes, I know, good things take time - like whisky and cheese - but in this timeframe one could have, potentially, had a child and become a grandparent or planted a forest (pine) and harvested it and had another almost ready for its first pruning. So, as a child of an ex-ratepaying Dunedinite with family still in your fair city, how much has this exercise cost the council thus far? What is there to show for the money spent? People need straight answers. In these times ,Dunedin ratepayers and residents need must haves, not nice to haves. Yes, Cr Vandervis may think I am parochial with his attempted deflective remark regarding rugby and I would just like to remind him we do have the NPC series coming up where some more of our best can shine. Jacqui Legg Winton Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
RNZ News
05-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
RSV vaccine used in 40 other countries could save babies' lives
More modern vaccines for pregnant women and babies are available overseas. Photo: Unsplash A vaccine available in about 40 other countries could cut hospitalisation of babies with a potentially deadly lung infection by 80 percent, according to child health experts. New Zealand has the world's highest rates of serious illness caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), with 2000 children under five admitted to hospital each year, due to complications from the virus. Early childhood teacher Kerri had an outbreak at her Auckland centre last month, which turned out to be RSV. "It went very quickly from coughing on and off to a really big cough in a short space of time," she said. "Some of them started coughing so hard, they actually vomited, so once that happened, we started sending children home." Not everyone was tested, but Kerri estimated 8-10 children fell sick and the sibling of one child had to be hospitalised. She was already on high alert, after a previous experience with RSV. "One child, I remember, they developed it and they ended up in hospital in an induced coma, and that was really scary. I didn't realise how bad it was, until that case." Starship Hospital paediatrician Cameron Grant said rates were even higher for Māori and Pacific children, with three and four times more likely than Pakeha babies to be hospitalised, along with those living in poorer households. "Pneumonia and bronchiolitis, which are the most common infections it causes, are roughly twice those of England and the United States." As of 1 January, only one vaccine (Palivizumab) is funded in New Zealand for a very small number of high-risk babies - those who are extremely premature or have other serious health problems. It needs to be given as an intramuscular injection every month, which presents its own logistical difficulties. Grant, who is also professor of child health at Auckland University, said more modern vaccines for both pregnant women and babies provided protection for at least six months, but these were not available in New Zealand. "It's now more than 40 other countries around the world are using these, including Australia. "All we have is a product that was developed 25 years ago, which involves an intramuscular injection each month, and the only reason we've got it here is because all these other countries are buying these newer products, which are better." Infectious disease expert Elizabeth Wilson said RSV vaccination was now offered to every baby in the United States before winter. "It's hugely effective. There's data coming out from various places - Paris, Galicia, the States, Western Australia - and all are showing well into the 80 percent protection, certainly against hospital admission with RSV." The other group at risk of serious illness from RSV is the elderly. The vaccine Arexvy is approved for use in New Zealand for those aged 60 and older, but that is not funded and costs $475. However, there was nothing for pregnant women or children, even if families were prepared to pay for it, Wilson said. Both doctors were disappointed that Pharmac had no plans to fund a vaccine to protect babies, despite their advocacy. "We've had no indication that it's going to happen in the near future," Wilson said. Professor Grant was blunt in his assessment of the lack of action: "We don't value child health in New Zealand as much as any of these other countries." The vaccines would save the health system money by reducing serious illness and hospitalisations, he said. "More importantly, they could save lives". Pharmac director for advice and assessment Dr David Hughes said the agency had not received a funding application for an RSV vaccine for young people or pregnant people, nor for a new preventative treatment for young people at risk from RSV infection. "We have been talking with the suppliers of these vaccines and preventative treatments to understand their interest in submitting funding applications," he said. In assessing applications, Pharmac had to consider a number of factors, "including the costs and potential savings to the health system", while suppliers also needed to apply to Medsafe for regulatory approval. Pharmac did receive a funding application for the Arexvy vaccine for adults aged 60 and older in January last year, but that application remained "on hold, until further information can be provided". "There are always more medicines we would like to fund and while some are medicines available in other countries, our funding and reimbursement systems are often not comparable," Hughes said. "We need to make our own decisions about what to fund and for who in New Zealand." While Pharmac determined which vaccines ere funded and the eligibility criteria, Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora was responsible for actually delivering those vaccines. The health official in charge of immunisation programmes, Jolene Proffit from the National Public Health Service, said Abrysvo (the vaccine for pregnant women) was "not currently approved for use in New Zealand". Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
