Dear Editor,

The HRPP’s campaign promise to give WST 1,000 to families of fully vaccinated newborns is not a bold health initiative—it’s a cynical attempt to rewrite history. This is the same party under whose leadership over 80 Samoan children died during the 2019 measles outbreak, a tragedy that was both preventable and unforgivable.

That deadly crisis happened under HRPP’s watch. After a nurse’s error led to the deaths of two infants in 2018, the government suspended the entire national immunisation program for months, instead of fixing procedures and restoring public trust. By the time measles struck in 2019, vaccination rates had collapsed to just 30%, leaving Samoa’s children defenceless. It was one of the worst public health failures in the country’s history—and it happened under HRPP’s leadership.

Now, faced with a public still recovering from that trauma, HRPP is trying to buy forgiveness with cash payments. But public trust isn't for sale.

We’ve seen similar policies in Australia, where the government under John Howard linked family benefits to immunisation. While well-intentioned, that policy led to resentment among low-income families, failed to address the root causes of vaccine hesitancy, and did little to improve long-term outcomes. In some cases, critics argued the payments encouraged short-term compliance without strengthening child welfare or informed healthcare decisions.

Samoa risks repeating that mistake. Financial incentives might briefly boost numbers, but they won't build trust, fix health infrastructure, or undo the damage HRPP has already caused.

True leadership means taking responsibility, investing in public health, and rebuilding the confidence of a nation, not handing out campaign money in exchange for votes. Samoa’s children deserve more than empty promises; they deserve protection, accountability, and change.

Tama Toa