Free jabs push

ERICA Burleigh, right, and best friend Kacee Johnstone, pictured with son Charlie, 13 months, have started an online petition calling for the meningococcal B vaccine to be made free. Ms Burleigh was just 17 years old when meningococcal B left her with very limited vision.

“Enough is enough, every year someone either dies or is left with a severe lifelong disability,” she said.

THE State Government will extend its existing vaccination program for meningococcal disease amid community concern about an outbreak which killed a teenage girl and hospitalised a man and a baby.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson yesterday said the Government was taking advice from medical experts and would make an announcement next week.

The State Government currently funds a vaccine against four strains of the disease — A, C, W and Y — for teenagers and the Federal Government funds the same vaccine for infants.

“On the advice of our medical experts the Government will be expanding our meningococcal disease vaccination program and it will be based on that expert advice,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We were nation-leading here in Tasmania. Just one year ago when I announced that this Government would be funding the meningococcal W vaccine — which we knew at that time was increasing in its incidence — and we’re pleased to see that that’s been taken up by schools and by families, but we’d like those vaccination rates to go higher.

“We’re also aware of other meningococcal infections that are taking place in Tasmania, we’re having a very close watching brief on this and the Government will be reviewing our existing meningococcal vaccination program.”

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten yesterday renewed his call for the Federal Government to make meningococcal B vaccinations available for free while speaking during a visit to the North-West Tasmanian seat of Braddon.

“I asked Malcolm Turnbull to personally support providing free vaccinations against this treatable disease,” he said.

“I think we can find the money, currently if you need to get this care, if you need to get this vaccination, you hopefully have yourself $350 or $400,” Mr Shorten. “I think that’s dreadful. “I’m actually going to congratulate the South Australian Government who are finding funding for it, I’d say to Malcolm Turnbull and say to the Liberals and Brett Whiteley it is long past the hour that we provide free vaccination against meningococcal B.”

Mr Shorten said the expense was worth it if lives could be saved.

“I mean what is the cost of a life? And the answer is there is no price which is not too high to pay and we should be providing that vaccination right now.”

He said the Government should accept this shouldn’t be a political issue and provide the vaccine for free “for the sake of the kids”.