Meningitis in retreat after mass vaccination, says ministry

The national immunisation programme to attack New Zealand's meningococcal B epidemic has slashed cases of the disease.

South Auckland hospitals say it is now rare for children to turn up with the disease, compared with the three or four cases turning up every week a few years ago.

Ministry of Health figures show that between 2003 and last year, the number of cases of the epidemic strain in Auckland and Northland fell 76 per cent. Vaccination began in July 2004.

Dr Jane O'Hallahan, director of the ministry's meningococcal vaccine strategy, will present key results at a ministry-sponsored forum in Wellington today.

She said last night that since mass vaccination started there had been a sharp reduction in case numbers of the epidemic strain, particularly in South Auckland where the programme began.

Dr David Barry, chairman of the clinical review committee, called the programme well organised and superbly run.

"I think it has been tremendously successful," he said, adding it was money well spent.

By the end of last month 3,031,867 doses of the MeNZB vaccine had been administered.

Four-fifths of the population between 6 weeks and 19 years, and more than 85 per cent between 5 and 17 years, have had all three doses.

Vaccination for 5 to 19-year-olds finishes at the end of the year. But the vaccine will remain available for under-fives until 2009 or earlier if conditions justify it.

- NZPA