Free meningococcal B vaccine for infants and adolescents
FREE meningococcal B vaccine for infants and adolescents — a world first — has been praised by a family whose infant son lost his feet and fingers to the disease.
THE parents of brave Riley Nixon, 4, who lost his feet and fingers to meningococcal B disease, say news of a free vaccine is part of his legacy after the family went public urging the State Government to fund vaccination.
Health Minister Stephen Wade announced the vaccine will be free from October 1 for infants aged up to 12 months as well as a catch-up program for children aged under four.
Then in early 2019, the program will include people aged 17-20, plus a catch up program for students in Years 10 and 11 covering ages 15 and 16.
The scheme is the first free B strain vaccine in Australia, and the first in the world to also cover adolescents, and is expected to prevent 12 cases a year and one death every two years in SA which is a ‘hotspot’ for the strain.
Riley’s parents Amy and Chad fought for the free vaccine publicly after their son caught the infection shortly before he turned two and nearly died.
“We are over the moon it has finally happened — it makes all the reports in The Advertiser and on the TV news were involved with worth it,” Mrs Nixon, of Modbury, said.
“We will be able to tell Riley later in life he helped make it happen. He keeps the strength in our family.”
The announcement at the Sturt Street School Early Learning Centre saw Riley immediately rush to the playground, throwing footballs, climbing on equipment including a balancing bar and playing with other children regardless of lack of lower legs or fingers.
Asked who his friends are, the outgoing little boy replied “I’m friends with everyone.”
The cost of the new program has not been revealed as negotiations are ongoing with the vaccine manufacturer, but it is likely to be in excess of the $24.5 million plan for children aged two and under promised by Labor prior to the election.
Mr Wade said the government had budgeted for a maximum cost but hoped to make savings and the cost was commercial-in-confidence while these negotiations continue.
“This is an Australian first,” he said. “The B stain is a particular problem in South Australia where we have the highest levels of anywhere in Australia.
“There have been 14 deaths here linked to the B strain since 2000 and many other people have survived but live with disability through their lives.”
SA Health Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips said a clinical expert working group recommended the vaccine be free for children aged three and under, and people aged 15-20, as these groups have infection rates above the annual average of 2.8 cases per 100,000 people.
He said the limited side effects of the free vaccine were far outweighed by the protection it offered.
The vaccine, which now costs around $500 for a full course, will be available free from GPs for the recommended aged groups.
There have been 372 cases of meningococcal disease in SA since 2000.