VACCINES ARRIVE
Government’s lifesavers are here
MORE than 6000 meningococcal vaccine doses have landed in the state as a response to an outbreak of the deadly disease begins.
The vaccines were last night on their way to GPs in the New Town-Glenorchy area, where three of four meningococcal W strain cases have occurred.
Delivery of another 90,000 doses to be administered statewide for free to all Tasmanians under 21 will begin next week.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson will write to every household in a campaign to ensure as many young Tasmanians as possible are inoculated against the disease, which has already claimed a life.
MORE than 6000 meningococcal vaccine doses landed in the state yesterday as a response to a recent outbreak of the deadly disease begins.
The vaccine was on its way to GPs in an area from New Town to Glenorchy, where three of four meningococcal W strain cases have occurred.
Delivery of another 90,000 doses to be administered statewide to all Tasmanians under 21 will begin next week.
“Privately provided supplies from individual pharmacies may have been limited in recent weeks due to increased demand, but this will not affect the vaccination program,” a joint statement from Health Minister Michael Ferguson and Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said.
“Free vaccines under the extended program will be distributed to immunisers, including GPs, pharmacists and council clinics as the full program rolls out over coming weeks.”
Mr Ferguson and Premier Will Hodgman will write to every household in the state as part of an information campaign aimed at ensuring as many young Tasmanians as possible are inoculated.
Advertisements will appear in the state’s three newspapers this weekend, followed by TV and radio ads in coming weeks to inform the public about the availability of vaccinations.
Posters and pamphlets will be produced and information distributed by GP clinics, childcare centres, schools, councils, pharmacies, Service Tasmania and public healthcare buildings.
The statement said information on the extended program had already been provided to 800 GPs, 160 community pharmacies, 260 early childhood education directors, as well as every school and council.
Social media from the Department of Health had reached more than 137,000 people.
An expansion of the vaccination program against four strains of the disease — A, C W and Y — will be rolled out to all Tasmanians from six weeks old to 21.
Four of the state’s five recent cases, including the death of 16-year-old Sarah Rose Beltz, have been confirmed as the W strain of the disease. A 20-year-old man contracted the B strain.