Helen and Pete Rowlands lost their son Gareth (Gaz) to meningococcal septicaemia in the UK in 2003. Photo / George Novak
Helen and Pete Rowlands lost their son Gareth (Gaz) to meningococcal septicaemia in the UK in 2003. Photo / George Novak
The Bay of Plenty is disproportionately represented in a national jump in meningococcal disease cases.
But the news comes as Pharmac announces funding for some vaccines, which is a comfort to a Tauranga family who lost their son to the life-threatening disease.
The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) found there had been 69 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in New Zealand this year as at the end of November - more than a 50 per cent increase in the number of cases compared to the previous year.
Of the 69, seven cases were in the Bay of Plenty, making up 10 per cent of national cases - more than its portion of the population. Four of these cases were located in the Lakes district, making up six per cent of national cases.
The data comes as Pharmac announced this month it would fund the meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) from March 1 for children up to 12 months old, and for 13 to 25-year-olds in “close-living situations”.
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but life-threatening bacterial infection causing two serious illnesses - meningitis (an infection of the membranes that cover the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
Infants and children were most vulnerable to the disease, in particular those with Māori and Pasifika heritage, who made up 90 per cent of all cases in children under five this year.
Even with prompt medical care, around one in every 10 patients who contract the disease will die, and up to one in five survivors will have permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, amputated limbs, and hearing loss.
Last year, the Rowlands told the Bay of Plenty Times Gareth was living at a Derbyshire boarding school when he called them to complain about a headache.
Twenty-four hours later, Gareth was dead.
He was found collapsed in his room after showing no signs and symptoms of the disease that killed him - meningococcal septicaemia.
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times again this week, Pete Rowlands said it was “fantastic” Pharmac would be funding the meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and running a catch-up programme.
However, “there’s still that discrimination around [the fact] that it’s not all-inclusive”.
“Our aim has always been to ensure that a vaccine is available for all 16-year-olds prior to leaving school so that the whole of New Zealand is protected.
“We’re always worried about an outbreak.”
Rowlands, who is also a board member of the Meningitis Foundation New Zealand with his wife Helen, said the disproportionate representation of cases in the Bay could be due to education, awareness, and the cost of the vaccine.
Information obtained through the Official Information Act from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board last year showed there were three meningococcal vaccines available in New Zealand, which covered different strains of meningitis.
Two of these - Bexsero and Menactra - cost $150 each, and the third - NeisVac-C - costs about $98 each.
“Are these people able to afford the vaccinations if they are aware of it?” Pete Rowlands said.
On December 8, Te Pātaka Whaioranga - Pharmac announced it would fund the meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero from March 1 to protect against meningococcal disease in children up to 12 months of age, administered as part of the childhood immunisation programme.
It would also be funded for people aged 13 - 25 who were entering into or in their first year of specified close-living situations. Catch-up programmes would also be funded for these groups.
This vaccine was previously only funded for close contacts of meningococcal cases or people who were at higher risk of contracting meningococcal B because they had reduced immune function.
Pharmac’s director of operations Lisa Williams said in a statement that meningococcal disease had an inequitable impact on Māori and Pacific children, and it would work with Te Whatu Ora to support its implementation of the programmes to benefit Māori and Pacific people.
Williams said it was particularly pleased to fund it for children under five years of age, as the recent ESR data showed 34 out of the 69 meningococcal cases reported in Aotearoa so far this year - nearly 50 per cent - were children under five.
Williams said it received requests through consultation for the further widening of funded access to both meningococcal B and meningococcal ACWY vaccines.
Several proposals for widened access to the meningococcal ACWY vaccine were on Pharmac’s options for investment list, meaning it would like to fund them subject to the available budget.
Pharmac also intended to seek extra clinical advice about further widening access for the meningococcal B vaccine for people in a broader range of close-living situations.
“Clinical advice from our expert advisers is that the recent funding decision covers those most at-risk from meningococcal B infection, which is our priority in providing the best health outcomes for New Zealanders. We understand this doesn’t cover everyone, and we realise that can be hard to hear.”
University of Auckland Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris.
University of Auckland Associate Professor Dr Helen Petousis-Harris said the rise in cases was a timely reminder to parents of infants and teenagers to be vigilant in identifying the early stages of the disease.
“Meningococcal disease can develop rapidly, usually starting with a fever, vomiting, headache and a general feeling of being unwell,” she said.
“However, this can progress very quickly to a rash, pain in the limbs, cold hands and feet, neck stiffness, confusion, and an aversion to bright lights.”
Petousis-Harris said infants and children who attended preschool or daycare were among the higher-risk groups for the disease.
GlaxoSmithKline - the supplier of the vaccines - was contacted for comment about the pricing of vaccines in the private market.
