Inoculation push reaches halfway mark

50% of Northland’s targeted groups have been vaccinated against deadly MenW

About half of the eligible children and young people have been vaccinated against the virulent meningococcal strain MenW in the Government’s urgent programme to combat the outbreak in Northland.

But there have been no new cases of the disease since the outbreak was declared in November.

The outbreak followed seven confirmed cases of MenW in Northland last year, out of 29 nationwide cases. Three of the Northland cases died.

The Ministry of Health obtained 25,000 vaccines for the urgent project, which began on December 5.

It aimed to vaccinate youngsters aged between 9 months and 5 years, and between 13 and 20 years — but Northland DHB acknowledged it would be a challenge to reach the 22,707 eligible people over the summer holidays.

Jeanette Wedding, Northland District Health Board’s general manager of public health services and district hospitals, said that by December 21, 10,515 kids had been immunised.

She said 5035 of those were in the 9 months to under 5 age group, while 5480 were in the 13 to under 20 group.

Vaccinations continued over the Christmas period and the estimate of how many have been immunised is about 11,000, she said.

But Northland has had no further cases of MenW since the decision to start the project in November, Wedding said.

At the end of last year, Northland DHB chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain told Parliament’s health select committee it was worrying that children aged between 6 and 12 were going to miss out, but noted the expert opinion to target the two selected age groups. He hoped if any remaining vaccine supplies were left at the end of the programme, they would be used on the children outside the original target age ranges.

A Health Ministry spokesperson said there were no plans to treat children between 6 and 12 but the ministry would seek further advice “should the need arise in future”.

A Technical Advisory Group recommended vaccinating children under 5 because they are generally the most affected by meningococcal disease, while 13 to under 20-yearolds generally carry the bacterium that causes the disease.

The group also said it was ideal to give two doses of vaccine Menactra for those aged 9 months to 2 years, though one dose would provide “some protection”.

Wedding said there were no plans at present to administer a second dose of Menactra to those who had already been given one dose.

She said the second stage of the programme, which had a particular focus on reaching young people between 13 and 20, was now under way.

Pharmacies were offering vaccinations across Northland, and from January 21 additional DHB community clinics will be established, which may include Ma¯ ori providers.

“We know that many of our young people haven’t been vaccinated yet so we are working closely with youth organisations and employers to increase the uptake,” Wedding said.

“This is important because this is the age group that generally carries the bacterium that causes the disease.

“Even if they have no symptoms, carriers can infect those around them.”