New parents are urged to keep their children's immunisations up to date from the day their bundle of joy arrives in an attempt to keep dangerous diseases at bay. But there's one vaccine which could protect children from a deadly disease which isn't on the nation's child immunisation schedule.(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints australia)
Meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero (4CMenB) has been available for purchase privately in Australia since March 5 this year, but unlike the vaccine for Meningococcal C, is not funded through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. And at about $125 per injection -with babies requiring four injections before they are 12 months old - it is simply financially out of reach for many families.
The recent death of a two-year-old boy in NSW who was infected with meningococcal B has thrown the spotlight on the new vaccine, with support groups calling for it to be included in the National Immunisation Program (NIP) immediately.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is meeting next month to discuss if the B-strain vaccine should be included on the NIP. An application by Bexsero manufacturer Novartis Vaccines for PBS listing last year was rejected by the committee, which argued the vaccine was not cost effective.
Meningococcal Australia director Kirsten Baker said although the disease is rare, the speed at which is spreads and its potentially deadly outcome justify the inclusion of the Bexsero vaccine as a routine immunisation.
"The problem is so many of the symptoms are similar to when a child has a bit of a cold. Parents often don't realise something is really wrong until they see the rash, but the rash is the usually the final symptom appear,'' Baker said.
"Also young children may not be able to explain what they are feeling, so they might just appear to be tired and generally unhappy in the early stages. But the clear message is that whoever thinks their child, or a child in their care, is showing symptoms of meningococcal disease, should seek urgent medical attention.
"This disease can become deadly within hours, and the sooner treatment is started the better the chance of a positive outcome."
Baker spent two weeks in hospital after contracting meningococcal septicaemia in 2005. She said the symptoms came on suddenly and believes if she had not sought immediate medical attention she may not have survived.
She is hopeful the government committee will approve an application to add Bexsero to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. She also encourages adults to make sure their own vaccinations are up to date.
"The rates of meningoccal C have plummeted since the vaccination was added to the childhood immunisation program in 2003, and we would love to see that happen with the B strain,'' she said.
One family who knows how quickly meningococcal disease can take hold is the Manulat family from Anna Bay, north of Newcastle in NSW.
Last Tuesday night their two-year-old son Ryder went to bed showing no signs of sickness, before waking up on Wednesday morning with a rash of pinprick spots on his body. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors quickly diagnosed the deadly meningococcal disease and administered antibiotics.
By 10am the little boy, who had Down syndrome, was placed on life support, and by 2pm he had passed away.
After the little boy's death his parents spoke about the fact they were not aware of the availability of a vaccine for the meningococcal B-strain which killed their son.
Around 200 Australians contract meningococcal disease each year, with children under five years of age and teenagers and adults between 15 and 25 most at risk. Up to 10 per cent of people who contract the disease die as a result.
According to Meningococcal Australia, symptoms of the disease vary and include headache, fever, drowsiness, a stiff or painful neck, sensitivity to light, vomiting, shivering, cold hands or feet, muscle or joint pain, and changes in skin colour. A late-stage rash may also develop, which can start off as spots, blisters and pinpricks and later appear as purple, bruise-like blotches.
One fifth of survivors are left with lifelong disabilities, including brain damage and limb loss.
Meningococcal B is the most common strain of the disease in Australia, being responsible for 83 per cent of cases.
Besxero has been approved by the TGA for use in Australia following a review of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The vaccine has already been recommended for inclusion on the childhood National Immunisation Program in the UK, based on the results of trials involving more than 8000 people.
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