On the Government immunisation schedule, children and young adults are immunised against Meningococcus ACW and Y, but not Meningococcus B.
Meningococcus B is currently only available by requesting a script from your GP, and it costs around $130-150.
Rotary Member - Amanda Hough suggests that members could consider gifting this immunisation to their grandchildren as a Christmas present, available for children up to 25 years of age.
Meningococcal B Recent Case Story:
The parents of a young Australian woman who died within 24 hours of falling ill with meningococcal B are calling for urgent changes to the vaccination programme.
Bella Fidler, a 23-year-old from the Gold Coast, died in December last year, less than 24 hours after she first complained of feeling unwell.
Bella's Story: https://meningitis.com.au/personal-stories/bellas-story/
For survivors of Meningococcus B, they are often left affected for life with limb losses; below is a child and a teenager who survived this disease.
Please click the links below for further information on Meningococcus B and the vaccination:
https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/meningococcal-disease
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/should-meningococcal-b-vaccine-be-added-to-the-nip
https://meningitis.com.au/about-the-disease/what-are-meningitis-septicaemia/
