Meningitis vaccine to be tested on children

Children in south Auckland will take part in the second phase of clinical trials for a vaccine to fight group B meningococcal disease.

The Government is spending up to $200 million to develop a vaccine for the strain of the disease that is specific to New Zealand.

Phase one of the clinical trials involved 75 health adult volunteers.

Health Minister Annette King said today the first part of the second phase would involve about 300 eight to 12-year-old children in the south Auckland suburbs of Manurewa and Papakura.

The vaccine was similar to one that had been used in more than 40 million doses overseas with no recorded unexpected serious adverse reactions.

Ms King said the start of the new phase of clinical trials was a big step toward combating the killer disease.

Auckland University has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to run the clinical trials.

It is also responsible for evaluating the programme, in terms of vaccine effectiveness and epidemic control.

Auckland University Professor Diana Lennon, who is principal investigator for the clinical trials, said every step in the process took New Zealand closer to reducing the impact group B meningococcal disease was having on the population, particularly children under five years old.

Last year 26 of the 650 people who contracted the disease died, Ms King said.

Up to 20 per cent of the rest would have been left with serious disability.

"Still more would have been left with educational or behavioural difficulties.

"Meningococcal disease has raged war in New Zealand at epidemic levels for 11 years now and could easily continue to kill dozens and leave hundreds disabled every year for the next decade if we didn't develop a vaccine," Ms King said.

The disease affected people from all walks of life but there was a higher incidence among Maori and Pacific people.

- NZPA