Posted by Michael Wonder on 18 Jul 2019
Toddler died of only meningococcal strain not on vaccine program
18 July 2019 - A toddler has died after contracting meningococcal B, the only strain of the potentially deadly disease with a vaccine that is not covered on the national immunisation program.
Meningococcal B is the predominant cause of meningococcal cases in infants, children, teenagers and young adults, accounting for 14 of the 21 cases in NSW so far this year.
But the B-strain vaccine (Bexsero) is not on the national immunisation schedule, unlike all the other strains, which are covered by the free quadrivalent ACWY vaccine.
Bexsero has been evaluated and rejected three times for inclusion on the national schedule by the PBAC over its cost-benefit analysis profile.
