Thursday, 31 August 2023

Meningococcal B vaccination

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:24): (449) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and it is in relation to the meningococcal B vaccination. It is a very terrifying disease for those children and teenagers who contract meningococcal. While it is uncommon, meningococcal is a very serious disease, as I have mentioned, that can cause permanent disability and sometimes death, and it affects very young children, teenagers and young adults in particular. Vaccination is the best way to prevent this disease, and it saves lives.

Victoria’s immunisation schedule currently includes free vaccination for meningococcal strains A, C, W and Y for babies at 12 months and teenagers in year 10 at school. While a vaccine for meningococcal B is available, it is not included on the national immunisation program, and this means that the cost becomes prohibitive for many families already facing cost-of-living pressures. At around $200 per dose per child – they need two doses – it can be a very expensive exercise, and so many families are not undertaking this important vaccination requirement for their children.

Last week I had a meeting with Karen Quick, the CEO of Meningitis Centre Australia. Her organisation does a lot of work, a lot of advocacy, and is working with various governments around the country. South Australia has been funding meningococcal B immunisation for babies at 12 months and teenagers since 2018, and that has resulted in a 60 per cent reduction in meningococcal B cases for the infant age group and a 73 per cent drop in cases for adolescents in the program’s first two years. So you are seeing results in South Australia as a result of the undertaking by that government.

On 24 May last year I actually raised this issue and asked whether the government would look at it, and I got a very bland answer from the minister, so that is why I am raising it again – because there has been no action from the state government and there is still a very, very big issue out there in the community. As I said, other jurisdictions are undertaking this program. Queensland has recently announced that it too will be providing free meningococcal B vaccination for all babies and teenagers from next year.

So the action I seek again from the government is to expand Victoria’s immunisation schedule to include meningococcal B, a measure that will save lives; reduce disability in babies, children, teenagers and young adults; and make a huge difference to those family members that are affected by this hideous disease.