How many have to die before free jabs? Docs want vaccines for meningococcal free for everyone

ALL Tasmanians should be given access to government-funded vaccinations against meningococcal disease — or more people would die, the nation’s peak GPs body says. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Hobart dad Richard Griggs paid for his two children to be vaccinated against meningococcal B strain, but realises it can be hard for some families to meet the cost. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

ALL Tasmanians should be given access to government-funded vaccinations against meningococcal disease — or more people will die, the nation’s peak GPs body says.

An outbreak of the disease has killed a teenager and hospitalised an infant and an adult male in Tasmania in the past 10 days.

CORONER TO INVESTIGATE TEEN’S MENINGOCOCCAL DEATH

BABY BOY DIAGNOSED WITH MENINGOCOCCAL

President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Bastian Seidel said the current approach to vaccination was piecemeal and did not reflect the best medical advice.

RACGP president Bastian Seidel. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

“How many people do we need to die before we take action? That’s a question I don’t want to ask as a doctor,” he told the Sunday Tasmanian.

“We know that piecemeal approach doesn’t work otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.

“The medical evidence is very clear: vaccinations for all serotypes are strongly recommended for all Australians.

“We have to stop trying to predict stuff and cover comprehensively. We need to introduce a vaccine program here in Tasmania that covers all serotypes.”

SAVE OUR KIDS: DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO ANOTHER CHILD

There are three vaccines against meningococcal: one for the C strain, one for the B strain and one that protects against the A, C, W and Y types.

While the ACWY strain is given to infants and teens under a sponsored program, parents have to seek out the B-strain vaccine — and pay the full cost.

Meningococcal Australia’s Eliza Ault-Connell said she was hopeful the Federal Government was on the cusp of action.

“We’re a very proactive country in so many ways but when it comes to this deadly disease we have to get on top of it,” she said.

Dr Seidel said governments were due to show leadership and protect patients.

“The money is there to fund it. It needs to be allocated. Whether it comes from the state or the federal government is a political argument, not a medical argument,” he said.

There are, on average, five or six cases of meningococcal disease in Tasmania each year.

Director of Public Health Dr Mark Veitch has not revealed which strain has been involved in the current cases, but said they are not believed to be linked.

Since the reported cases, pharmacists say demand for vaccines has soared. Stocks of one vaccine, approved for children aged under 12 months, are believed to be low.

Ms Ault-Connell said people needed to educate themselves about the symptoms and the impact of meningococcal.

“This disease is potentially deadly. It takes lives and limbs within hours,” she said.

“Governments in the last 24 months have come on board with more vaccinations for more people, but different people, depending on where you live, are protected differently. This disease knows no barriers.

“A federal approach needs to be strongly considered to protect the three most at-risk groups: infants, children and adolescents.”

Ms Ault-Connell said vaccination was the best protection and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee was considering a submission to make the ACWY vaccine available to adolescents nationwide.

Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has called on the Federal Government to make the meningococcal B vaccine available via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

I’ve written to the Federal Health Minister today asking him to put meningococcal vaccines on the PBS. No one should have to go without potentially life-saving vaccinations because of the cost. AW #auspol #politas pic.twitter.com/YgvbYyETL9

— Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) July 18, 2018

A spokesman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said any expansion to the current scheme would be a matter for expert advice.

“The Coalition Government can guarantee if the medical experts recommend the meningococcal B vaccine to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we will be listing it,” the spokesman said. “At the moment this vaccine is subject to trials and once completed will be presented to the medical experts to review and make a recommendation to government.

“Only recently the Turnbull Government made a free quad-strain (ACWY) meningococcal vaccine available for every single 12-month-old in the country, through the National Immunisation Program.”

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff.

Earlier this year, the State Government ran an awareness campaign on social media that reached hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff said access to the ACWY vaccine was continuing for Tasmanian adolescents.

“The State Government is certainly standing alongside all families affected and understand this a worrying time for all families, particularly parents across Tasmania,” he said.

Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said the State Government should do its utmost to prevent infections.

“Our position is that the Government should be taking whatever steps they can to make these vaccines more accessible and more affordable,” she said.

“It’s not the sort of disease where you want to be deciding whether or not to vaccinate.”

Stacy Klousia, of Hobart, with her daughter Eleanor, aged 3. Stacy hopes the meningococcal B vaccine will become part of the standard vaccination program for children. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

MUM WON’T BE TAKING ANY RISK

STACY Klousia is keenly aware of the dangers meningococcal disease poses to young people.

The Mornington mum says when she was at school, friends contracted the disease — and one tragically died.

So when it came to her daughter Eleanor, 3, she was taking no chances, vaccinating her at 12 months of age.

But she is now preparing to make sure Eleanor is fully covered.

“She hasn’t had the B strain vaccine. About a year ago a lot of mums were talking about a strain missing in the vaccine that was starting to pop up in some cases,” she said.

She spoke to her GP but had been unable to get answers. She said she had done her own research and was about to go back to the doctor.

“There seems to be a sense of confusion around what’s available, how much it costs, what needs to be covered,” she said.

“I will definitely end up paying the money. It’s for her health.”

Hobart dad Richard Griggs said his family had also considered the risks and paid out of pocket to have the B stain vaccinations.

“Because of the publicity around this time last year we have gone and had the additional vaccinations for meningococcal B.

“We had to proactively ask about it and they ordered it in.”

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