Vaccine plan needs many more babies

By REBECCA WALSH health reporter

Hundreds more babies are needed to take part in a pilot meningococcal vaccine programme in Auckland.

The vaccine is now being tested on babies aged 6 weeks to 10 weeks but only 70 of the 375 babies required have started the immunisation programme.

The pilot is part of a nationwide campaign, expected to start mid-year, to combat the group B meningococcal epidemic in New Zealand.

The vaccine has already been tested on adults, schoolchildren, toddlers and babies aged 6 to 8 months. It is planned that all New Zealanders under 20 will eventually be vaccinated against the disease.

Last year 13 people died from meningococcal disease and 541 cases were notified.

So far this year 30 cases of meningococcal disease have been notified. There have been no deaths.

Dr Sharon Wong, one of the doctors involved in the trials, said the babies received the vaccine at the same time as their other six-week jabs, including tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough.

The vaccine was given again at 3 months and 5 months. Follow-up paediatric care was provided.

"From our point of view it's probably the best age to do it. We want to protect the babies as early as possible.

"Half the cases of meningococcal disease occur in kids under 5 and 10 per cent in babies under 6 months old,"said.

"It's a huge number."

The babies could be from anywhere in Auckland, provided they were well and had not had meningococcal disease before.

Dr Wong said staff travelled around Auckland in a "more or less mobile vaccination clinic" reducing the amount of travel parents needed to do.

Anecdotal evidence from parents whose children were already involved in the trial indicated the vaccine was well tolerated, she said.

The meningococcal vaccine strategy director for the Ministry of Health, Dr Jane O'Hallahan, said the first stage of the national programme would cover the Counties-Manukau District Health Board area and the eastern corridor of the Auckland District Health Board.

Primary, intermediate and secondary school students would be vaccinated in a school-based programme run by public health nurses. Children under 5 would be vaccinated by GPs.

Other services such as student health, workplace and occupational health providers and after-hours clinics would be involved in covering young people and those not at school.

Dr O'Hallahan said the school-based programme was expected to start first and the other two delivery streams would begin later in the year.

The timeframes were subject to regulatory approval by Medsafe and vaccine supply, which were yet to be confirmed.

There would not be a start on a specific age group if there was no supporting clinical data.

Results from the adult trial showed it was good in safety terms and for immunogenicity (development of antibodies to protect against the disease).

The Government has committed up to $200 million for the vaccination programme.

* For more information telephone 0800 110-738.

Statistics

Thirteen people died from meningococcal disease last year and 541 cases were notified.

Thirty cases have been notified this year.

There have been no deaths.