Diplomatic Immunity

Shingles is much worse than Leukemia – Guest Blog by Lynley Hood

Helen Petousis Harris • Dec 23, 2014

By Dr Lynley Hood For the first three years following his diagnosis in December 2002, Jim’s chronic lymphocytic leukemia was a non-event. Then from late 2005 the complications – the anaemia and the chest infections – began to recur with tedious regularity. My husband endured them all, and the consultations and treatments they necessitated, with good-natured … Read More

What do chickens astronauts and St Anthony’s Fire have in common? Varicella policy at odds with science

Helen Petousis Harris • Dec 18, 2014

Angelina Jolie has come down with chickenpox, missing the Premier of Unbroken Update since published: NZ introduced varicella vaccine for children on 1st July 2017. I have just listened to an excellent series of interviews on Radio NZ about the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine. NZ does not fund this vaccine for all children although … Read More

NZ Immuniation Conference 2015 – The Rock and Roll of Infectious Diseases

Helen Petousis Harris • Dec 12, 2014

What do Foot Twitch, Glowing Toes, Prosthetic Foot , Toe Jam Brothers, Moldy Toe and Toe Nail Fungus have in common? (Answer. They are all little known rock bands we have rejected as acts for our conference dinner) However, in all seriousness, a few of us have been considering suitable acts for our conference dinner (NZ Immunisation Conference 2015, webpage … Read More

Amazing new cure for Ebola

Helen Petousis Harris • Oct 06, 2014

  Stop press! Thai scientists claim to have a treatment against ebola that is more effective that any other treatment! Is this possible? “Researchers at Siriraj Hospital claimed that the new antibody is “more effective” than those that now exist.” This is an astounding claim, especially as they haven’t actually tested it in animals or humans. What is … Read More

Kelly Brogan denies germ theory and the value of HIV drugs

Helen Petousis Harris • Sep 23, 2014

HIV causes AIDS and modern antiretroviral drugs extend quality of life and reduce AIDS related mortality. Kelly Brogan MD does not believe that HIV is the cause of AIDS because it does not satisfy Koch’s Postulates of infectious disease according to her website.* These postulates are four criteria refined and published in 1890 by a chap called Robert … Read More

Immunisation coverage – can we fix it? Yes we can! Yes we did!

Helen Petousis Harris • Nov 14, 2013

I think a celebration is about due. Today the Minister of Health has announced that NZ has had an unprecedented increase in the uptake of immunisation in its children.  Not only that, we have closed the traditional longstanding   inequity gaps in delivering immunisation in our children – now two year old Maori, Pacific and European children and children … Read More

Stephanie Messenger – messages of misinformation

Helen Petousis Harris • Oct 17, 2013

Apparently one of Australia’s anti-vaccination lobbyists is visiting NZ and doing tours around some of the local hotspots of like-minded people. This includes areas with pockets of the lowest immunisation rates in the country. For those who are not familiar with Stephanie’s work, she co-authored a book with Meryl Dory (Of the Australian Vaccine Network fame) where they … Read More