A young New Zealand-based couple who lost two babies in two years have been dealt another blow as they continue to seek answers into the cause of their children’s deaths.
Christine and Karl Laulu, originally from Samoa, are still grieving the loss of their children – son Jamie Ray and daughter Alana-Rae – who died within days of receiving a measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in the island nation.
Jamie Ray died in 2016 after getting an MMR shot and his sister would suffer the same fate almost two years later.
Their parents have stayed in Auckland since April, when they arrived with a severely ill Alana-Rae after seeking assistance from the Samoan Government to get medical help for her in New Zealand.
They are also still waiting to get genetic testing done to see whether a cause may be identified.
The Laulu children died before news broke of two 1-year-old babies who died shortly after getting an MMR vaccination at Safotu District Hospital, on the island of Savaii, in early July.
A Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of those two children – Lannacallystah Samuelu and Lameko Si’u – is taking place in Samoa this week.
Public submissions and those from a number of organisations, including Samoa’s Ministry of Health and the Samoa Registered Nurses Association, are being accepted.
But the Laulu family has had their request to appear before the Commission knocked back by Samoan authorities.
In an email from Samoa’s Attorney General to the couple’s Auckland-based lawyer, Leuluaiali’i Olinda Woodroffe, the family was told: “After consideration, I respectfully advise that although the Commission deeply appreciates what you propose to contribute to its inquiry, the Commission however feels that your proposed contribution will not be relevant to its limited terms of reference as directed by Cabinet.”
VAN UK’S Comment: Their children’s deaths directly after MMR are not relevant in an enquiry about child deaths after MMR!?
Source: The NZ Herald, 11th September 2018.
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