639 Results

  • Robust vaccine surveillance shows safety – we need to communicate this better

    … they are offered to the public and continue to maintain a good ongoing safety record. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) … the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine is very safe. After billions of doses, the most serious adverse events with … Identification of rare potential vaccine safety signals often needs a population much larger than NZ has, especially …
    Briefing

  • Has the time come for a register of AI systems used by government agencies?

    … Several recent reports in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) offer a roadmap for AI implementation, highlighting the citizens' … state it baldly: how well does a given AI system work? How often is it right? How does it compare with a person … in a piece of text interrupted at an arbitrary point). But after training, these systems are used to perform tasks that …
    Briefing

  • SARS-CoV-2: A modern Greek Tragedy?

    … Despite a  WHO-led investigation , compelling evidence on the origin … inconclusive. The WHO investigation concluded in favour of a natural origin, being satisfied that ‘asking whatever … the lose-lose square In global risk reduction there are often difficulties getting buy-in for prevention, safety and …
    Briefing

  • What does art have to do with public health, and how can they work together?

    … this eclectic gathering? Contemporary public health faces a number of challenges. First, an array of emerging health … The solutions to these ‘ wicked problems ’ require a concerted effort beyond the scope of a single discipline or … sessions. Session One: Public Health & Art in dialogue After a welcome from UOW’s Rautaki Hononga Māori, Toa Waaka, …
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  • NZ should prepare for a potentially severe global coronavirus pandemic

    … new coronavirus threat. Given its potential to become a severe and prolonged global pandemic, a precautionary … uncertainties in both the numerator (fatalities from this infection) and denominator (those infected, including some … had visited Thailand [2]). For infectious diseases where mild or asymptomatic cases may be the majority, ‘silent …
    Briefing

  • The Covid-19 experience in Aotearoa New Zealand and other comparable high-income jurisdictions and implications for managing the next pandemic phase

    … and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). These jurisdictions used a mixture of elimination and suppression strategies to achieve low infection and mortality rates until the arrival of the … from elimination in July 2021 with a reopening roadmap, after widespread vaccination, development of health services, …
    Briefing

  • The Havelock North drinking water inquiry: A wake-up call to rebuild public health in New Zealand

    … in August 2016 caused by contaminated drinking water was a public health disaster. The second report of the Havelock … that sheep faeces were probably the original source of infection, with heavy rain inundating paddocks, allowing … of the former Public Health Commission (‘disestablished after a productive two years’[ 9 ]) and subsequent steady …
    Briefing

  • New modelling on the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in NZ associated with arriving travellers

    … risks are typically very low for travel from Australia (a “green zone” country with small occasional outbreaks from … to a median time to an outbreak of 1.5 years and after an average of 800 flights). Nevertheless, a pre-flight … in mid-2021) we also considered a much lower prevalence of infection with the pandemic virus in Australia – representing …
    Briefing

  • Are we ready to eliminate invasive meningococcal disease in Aotearoa New Zealand?

    … Summary Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious infection that has devastating impacts on families. … that typically presents as meningitis and/or septicaemia, often with a characteristic rash . Maiden and Frosch … limb amputation, hearing loss, mental distress, and cognitive difficulties. Unsurprisingly, caregivers also …
    Briefing

  • Progress towards a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan: Congratulations to the Government

    … the plan: permitting tobacco products to be sold in only a small number of stores; reducing the nicotine in tobacco … is open until 31 May (feedback can be submitted here ); after analysing the feedback, the Ministry of Health will … people younger than 18 years at that time or those born after 1 January 2004 would never be able to lawfully be sold …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)