Celebrating 50 years of polio elimination in New Zealand: but inadequate progress in eliminating other vaccine-preventable diseases

New Zealanders can now reflect on and celebrate 50 years of polio elimination in this country. This success was followed by eliminating two other infectious diseases, brucellosis and hydatids, and an imported potential disease vector, the southern saltmarsh mosquito. However, this country has made inadequate progress in eliminating several other vaccine-preventable diseases. These include measles, mumps, and rubella, which are priority candidates for elimination, and potentially Hib disease and rotavirus infection. To achieve such successes almost certainly requires that the country: (i) builds national leadership for elimination goals; (ii) develops detailed plans; (iii) continues recent successes in enhancing routine vaccination coverage; (iv) introduces rotavirus vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule; and (v) strengthens surveillance and research ( on such questions as the cost-effectiveness of new vaccines, measures to enhance uptake, and effective border controls to reduce the risk of disease importation).