Young victim’s family welcomes ‘step in the right direction’ for free meningococcal B vaccine

THE family of a two-year-old girl who died from a deadly strain of meningococcal said allowing access to a vaccine for vulnerable NT residents was ‘a step in the right direction’

Rhanier and Navaro Lawrence, aged 3 and 5, lost their two-year-old sister Skylar to meningococcal B in 2017. Picture: Keri Megelus

THE family of a two-year-old girl who died from a deadly strain of meningococcal in 2017 said allowing access to a vaccine for vulnerable populations of NT residents was “a step in the right direction”.

But they would like to see it made free for all families.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has recommended the meningococcal B vaccine be added to the National Immunisation Program for most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and people with certain medical risk conditions.

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A Health Department spokeswoman said the PBAC recommendation meant the vaccine would be added to the federally-funded NIP, which provides free vaccines to eligible people.

Sally Lawrence and her husband Ash have been campaigning for the Federal Government to fund a free vaccine for the meningococcal B strain since their daughter Skylar died from the serious bacterial infection, aged just 2.

Ms Lawrence said the family still wanted the vaccine made available to all families.

“The vaccine costs $150 and then you need to get a $150 booster six weeks after, so it costs $300 per child,” she said.

“Every parent wants to protect their children, but when you see it has a price tag of $300 per child and when you have four children it does have an impact on the family budget.”

“I think once people are made aware that it is free and the implications that the disease does have, it would be highly received and there might be more awareness.”

Two children, including Skylar, died of meningococcal B in the NT in the past few years. A six-month-old baby died of the disease at Royal Darwin Hospital last June.

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NT Chief Health Officer Dr Hugh Heggie said although the number of meningococcal cases in Australia each year were low, the disease could be deadly.

“We’ve had two cases in the last five years or thereabouts (in the NT), so it’s a good thing the Commonwealth have actually recognised that some of our vulnerable population may need that cover, and we’ll look to the detail of that,” Dr Heggie said.

“It’s going to take probably six months before that program is rolled out.”

Originally published as Young victim’s family welcomes ‘step in the right direction’ for free meningococcal B vaccine