Free meningococcal vaccine sparks war of words between Federal and WA governments
Posted
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has accused his WA counterpart of playing politics over the deadly meningococcal disease, after his government announced free vaccinations for children a week after the WA government announced the same program.
Mr Hunt announced today that a new vaccine, Nimenrix, had been added to the National Immunisation Program to cover children aged from 12 months for the A, C, W and Y strains of meningococcal.
The disease claimed the lives of 28 people in 2017 and the number of cases reported around the nation rose from 252 cases in 2016 to 382 in 2017.
Much of the increase has been blamed on the rise of the deadly new W strain of the disease.
Last week WA Health Minister Roger Cook hit out at the Federal Government while announcing WA would provide free vaccinations against meningococcal for children aged under 5.
Mr Cook said the program would cost the state $5.7 million and criticised the Federal Government for not doing more to reduce the incidence of meningococcal.
"We want to actually take action, particularly given that the Federal Government has failed to respond to what we believe is an unacceptable level of incidents of the meningococcal W strain," he said.
"We didn't want to have to take this action because vaccinations programs are the responsibility of the Commonwealth, but we simply cannot sit by and allow this disease to wreak havoc on our community."
'No secret': Greg Hunt
But Mr Hunt said Mr Cook would have been well aware that a decision was pending.
"I suspect the West Australian Government knew we were to about to make the announcement," he said. "There was no secret of it.
"It was well understood that it was due before the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee this week and I think WA made the announcement knowing that in the end they wouldn't have to pay."
Mr Hunt said today's announcement was good news for parents and infants, but was only the first step in the Turnbull Government's broader approach to reduce the impact of meningococcal.
"In March 2018, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee will consider the listing of a meningococcal A, C, W, and Y vaccine for adolescents," he said.
"We are committed to strengthening Australia's world-class national vaccination program and we urge all Australian parents and carers to have their children vaccinated."
Mr Cook has been contacted for comment.
