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A Northland doctor says his practice is to see dozens of worried parents who want to pay for their children to be vaccinated against meningococcal disease.
A free vaccination program against the virulent strain W of the disease will begin in the region next week, after 10 deaths this year.
However, [vaccines] are only subsidized for two age groups – from nine months to less than five years and from 13 to less than 20 years – leave a gap between those aged five to twelve.
Andrew Miller, general practitioner of Manaia Health in Whangarei, said his practice had parents of five unskilled children ready to pay the $ 138 for a vaccine yesterday.
"In my practice, we are probably talking about 40 to 50 children in this unfunded age group who are interested in coming and who are paying for it to be done." So we are not talking about any number at all. negligible."
He unfortunately added that most families had a lot of money to find, especially if they had more than one child.
"It's a big sum of money, especially if you have more than one child and your funds are limited. So it's a very difficult decision, I imagine that many parents decide to spend so much.
"I immediately fear that this will cause health equity problems for those who can afford and those who can not."
He said that it was difficult to say how many people could not afford to pay because they would not claim this practice asking their child to be immunized.
"I imagine that there are many people sitting at home very upset that they do not have the opportunity to protect their children in this age bracket. funded. "
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