[ad_1]
A small community in Northland has been mobilized to raise funds for meningococcal vaccines for elementary school students.
With the help of a local parent, Hikurangi Primary School raised $ 17,825 to buy meningococcal vaccines for its 240 students aged 5 to 12 years.
In July 2018, a 7-year-old student of Hikurangi died of MenW, a particularly virulent strain of meningococcal disease.
123RF
Northland communities have helped primary schools purchase meningococcal vaccines for their students (photo archive).
In December, Northland DHB launched a vaccination program against this disease after the Ministry of Health announced that the number of MenW cases in the region had reached its epidemic level.
READ MORE:
* Meningococcal W: Northland DHB completes intensive intervention in case of epidemic
* The grieving grandmother of a meningococcal victim states that the disease has declared in a few hours
* Anti-vaxxers claim that Northland children "mbad vaccinated" criticized by DHB
* MP: All children in Northland must be vaccinated free of meningococcal disease
Northland has recorded the highest number of confirmed MenW cases in 2018, with seven cases registered between January 1 and December 31, according to ESR figures. Three people died.
A confirmed case of MenW at Northland this year, at the end of March.
MONIQUE FORD / STUFF
Dr. Shane Reti, national deputy from Whangarei, is calling on the government to fund meningococcal vaccines for all northerners under the age of 20.
Children aged 9 months to 4 years and adolescents aged 13 to 19 living in Northland are entitled to free immunization to protect them from the W strain of the disease.
However, children aged five to twelve are not eligible for the funded vaccine.
Local woman Shona Whitehead, who has five children enrolled in school, led the fundraising load. So far, $ 17,825 has been raised to reach the goal of $ 20,000.
Meningococcal vaccinations cost between $ 130 and $ 170 per child, depending on the cost of appointments with different doctors, but the MP for Whangarei and former general physician Shane Reti could provide and administer the vaccines at a cost of $ 90, she said.
"I was willing to pay the full amount just to vaccinate these kids," Whitehead said.
"If you have about three or four children, you have a lot of money, there are a lot of families fighting.
Stacey Richards, Acting Director of Hikurangi Elementary School, said Things she was happy that parents could now access the vaccine.
"This is an excellent opportunity for whānau who wish to vaccinate their children."
However, the student's family was entirely free to decide whether his children would receive the vaccine, Richards said.
Some had already tried to vaccinate their children themselves, but the main obstacle to this solution was their affordability.
"Many whānau pointed out that their toddlers or their older tamariki were vaccinated, but that some were not able to vaccinate their school-age tamariki."
Reti is asking the government to fund a comprehensive vaccination program for Northland's under-20s in next month's budget.
He said that while it was "extremely pleasant" to see immunizations taking place in Hikurangi Primary, "local communities can not afford to cover the government's shortfalls".
Hikurangi Primary School is the second school in the region to fund itself vaccines, the other being the Kaihu Valley Primary School, he said.
Northland DHB and the Ministry of Health were contacted for comments.
An "Oldies but Goldies" dance party was held for Saturday, April 13 at Hikurangi Hall, with the $ 10 entry fee for the purchase of vaccines.
Source link
