The Government’s $20 measles vaccination catch-up programme has been a big disappointment in the South, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says.

 “Completed last month, just 1292 people in the Southern District Health Board region were vaccinated as part of the programme, in the two years between July 2020 and 30 June 2022.

 “That equates to about 12 people a week in the Southern area – not a great success rate when the Health Minster has spent a whopping $20 million on the campaign. 

 “Across the country just 23,500 were vaccinated, despite the Government saying its multi-million programme would reach 300,000 people.

 “To me this is another major fail from Andrew Little and a serious waste of taxpayer’s money, which could have been spent more productively on so many other areas in our health system.

 “This program was extremely badly handled, with promotional material taking three months to arrive and the Government forced to destroy $8 million worth of expired measles vaccine due to the poor uptake.

 “The Health Minister continues to fail to deliver for Southlanders. He has failed to deliver a health workforce, failed people who’ve been forced to wait longer for surgery, failed our elderly in rest homes and now he has failed to deliver a measles vaccine programme, costing taxpayers $20 milion.

 “This program was extremely badly handled, with promotional material taking three months to arrive and the Government forced to destroy $8 million worth of expired measles vaccine due to the poor uptake.

 “Minister Little continues to fail to deliver for Southlanders. He has failed to deliver a health workforce, failed people who’ve been forced to wait longer for surgery, failed our elderly in rest homes and now he has failed to deliver a measles vaccine programme, costing taxpayers $20 million.”