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The Sun
Wednesday May 21, 2014
ROAD SAFETY WEEK Associate Transport Minister Michael Woodhouse is reminding drivers to keep focused while behind the wheel during this week’s Road Safety Week. “It’s important to remember that a moment’s inattention can have serious consequences.” Statistics say distraction is a factor in around 10 per cent of fatal and serious injury crashes. W H E N O N LY T H E B E S T W I L L D O ! ®
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Precious Things
Apology to parents over school vaccine risk The District Health Board is examining whether any Marlborough students need to be revaccinated after two schools in Nelson and Tasman received vaccines stored at the wrong temperature. Eighty-seven children have been offered a repeat dosage after the vaccines they received were kept at too cool a temperature during transportation to the schools and possibly rendered ineffective. Vaccines should be stored at temperatures between two and eight degrees. Some vaccines are particularly sensitive to exposure to zero degrees and below. “The vaccines had a short period of time in a chilly bin that went below zero on the journey to the schools; this was identified when the full temperature data was able to be downloaded from the data loggers on return to the hospital base,” said Nelson Marlborough Medical Officer of Health Dr Ed Kiddle. “We have contacted parents and apologised for this incident and based on external expert advice recommended revaccination to ensure the children have received the appropriate levels of immunisation protection. “The School Based Programme was temporarily put on hold until we were
Slice of fun for Rural Women Annette Michna-Konigstorfer, left, took the artisan breadmaking course which Marlburians Diane Payton, from the Rai Valley, and Heather Sorensen, from the Awatere Valley, attended on Friday. The course was part of the Rural Women New Zealand Top of The South Conference, held in Havelock over the weekend. The conference featured bread and cheese making, a gardening workshop with NZ Gardener magazine editor Lynda Hallinan and a variety of presentations on issues in the region’s rural communities.
McCormick & Co Jewellers Discovering jewellery with Pamela McCormick
Padparadscha Padparadscha is a rare, exotic sapphire of delicate light to medium toned pink-orange to orange-pink, originally found in Sri Lanka, with deposits in Vietnam and parts of East Africa. The rarest of these sapphires is the totally natural variety, with no sign of artificial treatment. At nine on the Mohs scale of gemstone hardness, the gem is particularly desirable, not only for its unique soft pastel orangeypink, but because it is hard enough for everyday wear. While it is agreed that the optimum colour should exhibit a blend of pink and orange the exact degree of tone and colour saturation can be a matter for debate among some experts. The sapphire, as I have mentioned on previous occasions, comes in many colours. These can be naturally coloured stones and they can also be traditionally heat-treated (a process used to dissolve silk and enhance clarity). For a sapphire to qualify for the prestigious title of Padparadscha, The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) – of which we are a member - has decreed that it must be a natural stone, excluding any treatment other than traditional heat to enhance clarity. Sourcing and buying exotic gemstones is one of our strong points. Sometimes it can take a little time to find the right size, colour and quality of stone our customer desires but – as with our diamond buying- we work with a niche group of highly respected gemstone buyers who ensure that we can supply an amazing range of precious stones. If you are wanting something unique, especially in shape, then we can have the stones cut to your requirement. To ensure you get the genuine article when it comes to buying precious stones talk to us. We have the expertise, experience and sources to provide you with beautiful gemstones – maybe even a true Padparadscha sapphire!!
able to introduce solutions to prevent this occurring again. “The solutions include introducing laptops and software enabling a more continual temperature read-out and data to be downloaded from the data-logger on-site before vaccinations begin.” In April, 15 children received HPV vaccine (to prevent cervical cancer) which had got too cold and families were contacted at that time and informed of the incident and revaccination was recommended. In early May, 72 children received vac-
TRADING POST
Gardening guru Xanthe White with Mayfield Kindergarten pupils William Stranchan, Maui de Wildt, Eleanor Hewer and Nita Leahy, all 4.
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cines that had been exposed to temperatures below zero. The vaccines were: HPV vaccinations given to 20 girls in Year 8 and the booster for diptheria, tetanus and pertussis given to 52 boys and girls in Year 7. Dr Kiddle said advice from IMAC (Immunisation Advisory Centre), after following up with the manufacturers, suggested the cold temperature may have affected the vaccine and there was no way to be sure it would work, hence the need for repeat vaccination. “It is important to recognise that the children who received these immunisations were not exposed to any risks from receiving the vaccine that got too cold,” he said. “National guidelines were followed regarding the vaccine cold chain with ice added to the vaccine-transport chilly-bins. “However, we suspect with cooler seasonal temperatures it is likely chilly bins were cold to start with leading to this breach in vaccine temperature. “A full review of the two incidents is being undertaken to ensure we learn as much as possible about improvements we can make to the programme.” Previous years’ data will also be examined, he said.
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By Adam Poulopoulos A desire to share ideas and foster community spirit through gardening was behind landscape designer Xanthe White’s visit to Blenheim last week. Xanthe delivered a talk on sustainable communities and gardens to around 70 people at Mayfield Kindergarten last Thursday. The kindergarten got the chance to host Xanthe after winning the Marlborough section of the ‘sunflowers in kindys’ competition, run by Daltons. Xanthe said both kids, who grew and nurtured the sunflowers, and adults got the chance to learn. “It’s all about the experience. “We wanted to think of something that involved all the community, and give some of that education back. “The kids went through all that learning just from one seed - it was a real process of discovery.” Mayfield teacher Kathryn Richards said the kids had an interactive learning experience. “The children helped plant the seeds, and they were responsible for watering and looking after them. “It also gave the opportunity to learn maths as they saw how much the plants grew. “It made it very real and relevant.” Money raised from Xanthe’s visit will go towards the kindergarten playground.