Country Liberal Party promises to deliver free meningococcal B vaccine if elected

Currently, only Indigenous kids are eligible for the free vaccine under a Government Funded program. Now, the opposition has pledged to deliver the life saving vaccine for all Territorian kids.

Country Liberal Party leader Lia Finocchiaro with Ash and Sally Lawrence, and Meningitis Centre Australia chief executive Karen Quick.

The Country Liberal Party has pledged to make the meningococcal B vaccine free for all infants if elected, promising a new, historic immunisation program will be rolled out to cover all Territorian children.

On Monday, opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro promised that the CLP would ensure children under the age of two and adolescents between the ages of 15 to 19 would receive the lifesaving vaccine for free.

Currently, only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants, or those with risk factors, are eligible to receive the vaccine under a federal government funded program.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro says the CLP will allocate $1 million in the first two years of the program. Picture: Harry Brill.

Ms Finocchiaro said her party would deliver the vaccine rollout to avoid the “tragic loss” of a child.

“We know that across the Territory, we could be protecting thousands of children by providing the meningococcal B vaccine,” she said.

“Currently, families right across the Territory are having to spend $200 per vaccine and babies require two vaccines plus a booster to be immunised from this disease.”

The CLP confirmed it would allocate $1 million for the first two years of the program, with $500,000 per year ongoing for infants 6 weeks to 12 months of age and Year 10 students aged 15 to 16 years-old.

In 2017, Ash and Sarah Lawrence tragically lost their daughter, Skylar, to the deadly disease. Picture: Harry Brill.

The announcement was endorsed by Territorian parents Sally and Ash Lawrence, who tragically lost their two-year old daughter, Skylar, to the disease in 2017.

“Meningococcal B will always be part of our life, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons,” Ms Lawrence said.

“So it will be great sense of relief knowing (there will) be peace of mind for families in the Northern Territory that this vaccination will be available free for all families and all our precious babies.”

For many years, the Lawrence family have campaigned for Meningococcal B awareness with the support of various small businesses who have journeyed with them.

Ms Lawrence said she was grateful a political party had joined the advocacy.

“Thanks to Lia (Finocchiaro) and the CLP for your commitment.”

In the last decade, there have been 18 cases of MenB recorded across the Territory, with three deaths in the last five years.

Additionally, one in four Territorians who get the disease will end up with a lifelong disability.

Country Liberal Party leader Lia Finocchiaro with Ash and Sally Lawrence, and Meningitis Centre Australia chief executive Karen Quick. Picture: Harry Brill.

Meningitis Centre Australia chief executive Karen Quick revealed Chief Minister Eva Lawler had rejected the proposal for an NT-wide vaccination program for MenB earlier this month, but said she grateful the opposition had committed to the bold plan.

“We are excited that Lia (Finocchiaro) and the CLP have been visionary, they’ve listened to Skylar’s story, they’ve done their research and they know this will be strongly beneficial to the Northern Territory children,” she said.

“This is going to save lives and disability of all Northern Territory children, regardless of their postcode or their heritage – this is a game changer and we’re absolutely thrilled with it.”

Ms Lawler said she supported a MenB vaccination, but maintained her government would advocate for the federal government to cover the cost.

“What we’ve been doing is working with the federal government around getting them to fully fund the MenB vaccination,” she said.

“So at the moment the large majority of MenB that we see (is) in Aboriginal children and the federal government already fund that around our Aboriginal population.

“We’ve been working with federal government to get them to fully fund MenB vaccination for our whole population and will continue to do that – I think we’re getting closer to doing that.”

Ms Quick said it was common for MenB treatment to cost millions of dollars.

“We have people that lose limbs, that need kidney transplants, (have) epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and the ongoing costs for carers support costs, special educational costs, travel costs, and all the outpatient costs confirm they see physiotherapists, they see neurologists, the list just goes on and on,” she said.

“That’s why it’s such an expensive disease – we have one lady we know of that it costs $2 million a year just to keep her supported from meningococcal B.”