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Faster roll-out of national Meningococcal C vaccination programs for schools urged

The Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, has urged the New South Wales Health Minister to accelerate the school-based roll-out of the National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program to ensure as many young Australians as possible are protected against meningococcal C disease before this winter.

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20 June 2003

Faster roll-out of national Meningococcal C vaccination programs for schools urged

The Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, today urged the New South Wales Health Minister to accelerate the school-based roll-out of the National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program to ensure as many young Australians as possible are protected against meningococcal C disease before this winter.

Senator Patterson said free meningococcal C vaccine was delivered to NSW general practitioners from 3 February this year to be given to children turning one to five years in 2003.

However, senior high school students who turn 15 to 19 years of age this year, who are eligible for the free vaccinations, will not be able to access free vaccine through school clinics until July, which coincides with the beginning of the peak season for meningococcal disease.

"I urge the NSW Health Minister to address this imbalance as soon as possible," Senator Patterson said.

"The Commonwealth is investing $82 million to protect New South Wales children over four years, including more than $78   million in meningococcal   C vaccine and another $4 million to deliver school-based immunisation clinics.

"However these school-based clinics must be up and running very soon to ensure as many as possible NSW high school students receive the best possible protection against meningococcal C disease which has been provided free by the Commonwealth Government.

"I'm informed that the NSW Government has not been forthcoming with information about the progress of their roll-out of the vaccination program.

"While it is reassuring to know that almost two million New South Wales children and adolescents will be protected against meningococcal C disease at the completion of the four-year program, it is disappointing that NSW seems to be well behind all other Australian states in making this vaccine available to senior high school students.

"The Commonwealth Government has expanded the National Meningococcal C Vaccination Program to provide access to free meningococcal C vaccine to almost six million young Australians over four years.

"The $291 million expanded program amounts to more than a doubling of the entire Federal Government immunisation expenditure in previous years.

"This year, children turning one to 5 years of age in 2003 will be vaccinated via general practitioners. In addition, senior high school students turning 15 to 19 years of age should be able to access free vaccine through school based clinics. Children turning 6   to 14 years of age in 2003 will also be vaccinated via school based clinics in 2003-04 and 2004-05," Senator Patterson said.

Senator Patterson said that in 1995, Australian childhood immunisation rates were as low as 53 per cent. In response, the Howard Government launched the Immunise Australia Program - The Seven Point Plan in 1997. All States and Territories now average above 90 per cent coverage for infant immunisation.

"The successful implementation of this national program is dependent on the co-operation of the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments, general practitioners and other immunisation providers, as well as the community as a whole," Senator Patterson said.

Media inquiries: Randal Markey, Media Adviser, Senator Patterson's office, 02 6277 7220.