Re the article ‘Protect your family from whooping cough' (page 9, The Weekend Sun, March 9). The statement 'on-time immunisation is the best way to protect babies” is completely false. For two decades, scientists have published evidence showing the ineffectiveness of the DPT vaccine. Parents assume vaccination has few minor side effects, however, at least three children suffered sudden death due to vaccination last year according to the 2016 CARM report.

‘Normal' (which can be as frequent as 1/1000) side effects also include hives, thrombocytopenia, persistent inconsolable screaming in infants (a symptom of encephalitis), hypotonic-hyporesponsive episode and convulsions (seizures). As epilepsy now affects around one per cent of New Zealanders and seizures are noted as a side effect, vaccination needs to be taken into account as a causative factor.

Let's investigate the true cost of pertussis vaccination. According to statistics, the mortality rate from whooping cough decreased by at least 95 per cent by the time vaccines and antibiotics were introduced. As vaccines are given to healthy children to reduce illness, we need to analyse if this is indeed the case.

I challenge the BOP DHB to do a true cost-benefit analysis of vaccination by comparing the health of vaccinated versus non-vaccinated children in Tauranga.

T Livingston, Whakamarama (Abridged).