The Ministry of Health says it will not fund a national vaccine of meningicoccal C, despite a coroner's call for an investigation into a publicly funded vaccination programme against the disease.
ONE News was told today by Ministry of Health Chief Advisor Child and Youth Health Pat Tuohy that a national programme is not necessary.
"Every death is a tragedy but over the whole of New Zealand putting in an immunisation programme for [meningococcal C] is still not beneficial in our view," Tuohy said.
Coroner calls for review
Coroner Brandt Shortland called for a review following a report into the death of 22-year-old medical student Zachary Gravatt in 2009.
Gravatt died after being taken to Auckland City hospital with flu like symptoms on July 8. His condition declined rapidly and the pressure on doctors dealing with the swine flu outbreak meant he was not diagnosed with meningococcal until several hours had passed.
In July this year the hospital apologised to Gravatt's family, with Auckland District Health Board's chief medical officer Dr Margaret Wilsher offering the board's apologies for "shortcomings" in it's care of Gravatt that had been identified.
In his report Shortland urged the Ministry of Health to review as soon as possible the benefits of a publicly funded vaccination programme for the disease, a process that would include consultation with the public.
The Director of the Meningitis Foundation Paul Gilberd told TV ONE's Breakfast the country is experiencing much higher levels of pneumococcal and meningococcal disease than is normal.
He said a vaccination programme should be considered, and could be targeted at those most at risk.
"I'm not saying let's vaccinate the whole population, but what I am saying is I think we need to give some serious consideration to broadening our definition of who is at risk," he said.
"For example the last major outbreak seven years ago which caused a number of deaths in Auckland was the unintended consequence of a change of housing policy.
"If we're going to throw people off the housing benefit and make them all live together we're going to put them more at risk and we should look at those sorts of situations."
High profile deaths
New Zealand has seen a number of high-profile deaths from meningococcal C disease this year, including Fulton Hogan chief executive Bill Perry in Christchurch.
Rates of meningococcal B and C, bacterial strains of meningitis, are rising nationwide, with Wellington and Northland regions the most affected.
Three people have died this year from meningococcal C in
Northland, where the District Health Board has launched a
vaccination programme, and aims to vaccinate at least 85% of
everyone in Northland in the at-risk age group, those from 12
months to 20 years.
In his report, Coroner Shortland noted Northland's efforts, saying
that the health board "is either the exception to the rule or the
pioneer in this initiative".
He recommended that the Ministry of Health update its immunisation guidelines to include the option of vaccination for meningococcal C.
Universities in New Zealand will also amend the advice they currently give to students about vaccination.
Whether Northland's publicly-funded programme should be extended
to the other 19 District Health Boards in the country remains a
decision in those respective boards and the Ministry of Health, he
said.
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