Successful MeNZB campaign comes to an end
Hon David Cunliffe
Minister of Health
14 April 2008 Media Statement
Successful
MeNZB campaign comes to an end
The successful
Meningococcal B immunisation campaign has resulted in a
dramatic reduction in the number of cases Minister of Health
David Cunliffe said.
Mr Cunliffe said the campaign had been such a success the Government had now received advice from clinicians through the Ministry of Health that a mass vaccination campaign was no longer needed.
Announcing the end of the immunisation programme this May the Mr Cunliffe said the number of cases being reported were rapidly declining after the peak of the epidemic in 2001 when 370 cases were reported .
”This has been a huge win for the New Zealand Public health system and a lot of the praise must go to the doctors, nurses, immunisation experts and Maori and Pacific providers who whole heartedly backed this immunisation programme.”
“We needed this vaccine because of the devastating toll this disease was taking in many New Zealand communities. It is now clear disease rates are at their lowest level in a decade,” Mr Cunliffe said.
“More then one million New Zealanders have now been immunised but it must be remembered this vaccine only protects New Zealanders from one strain of meningococcal disease. As a nation we must remain vigilant of the signs and symptoms of this potentially devastating disease.”
“The Ministry of Health will continue to assure monitoring the disease and they will reintroduce the vaccine if it is ever needed again “
The Minister of Health said that children under 5 who had only been given one dose of the Meningococcal B vaccine by June the 1st would be able to have their boosters provided they had them by December the 31st .
In 2004, the Meningococcal B Programme started immunising all New Zealanders under the age of 20 years. In 2006, extra funding was given to extend immunisations for pre-schoolers until mid-2009 if necessary.
Pneumococcal disease is now having a greater impact on the community, and the Government will make an announcement on plans to tackle this disease in the coming weeks.
ENDS
Questions and Answers –
meningococcal B immunisation programme
What was the
purpose of the Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme?
The Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme was
designed to control an epidemic of a specific strain of
meningococcal B disease. It was always intended to be a
short term programme and this is supported by the fact that
blood tests suggest protection is unlikely to be long term.
The MeNZB™ vaccine was used successfully as a circuit
breaker, preventing cases of meningococcal disease during
the epidemic.
Why end MeNZB™ immunisation
now?
With disease rates now at the lowest level in a
decade, the Ministry of Health has received expert advice
that there is no longer a need for mass immunisation with
MeNZB™. In 1997 there were 235 epidemic strain cases,
rising to 370 at the peak of the epidemic in 2001. The
Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme began in 2004 and by
last year, the number of epidemic strain cases had fallen to
47.
How much did the meningococcal B Immunisation
Programme cost?
The Government committed $200
million to the meningococcal Vaccine Strategy which paid for
the development of a strain-specific vaccine, clinical
trials and implementation of our biggest mass immunisation
campaign for all New Zealanders under 20 years old. A
further $22 million was committed so that if necessary, the
programme could continue for children aged under five years
until mid 2009.
How many epidemic strain cases have there been over the past 10 years?
Year All
meningococcal cases Confirmed epidemic
strain
1991 71
1992 153
1993 202
1994 208
1995 394
1996 473
1997 614 235
1998 438 223
1999 504 253
2000 480 269
2001 651 370
2002 556 291
2003 541 259
2004* 341 184
2005 227 113
2006** 160 74
2007 105 47
*
Immunisation programme started
** Mass Programme for
those age under 20 years ended. Preschoolers only continued
to receive MeNZB™
Click to enlarge
How many New Zealanders
were immunised with MeNZB™?
More than one million New
Zealanders under the age of 20 years have received one or
more doses of MeNZB™ vaccine. In total, 3.4 million doses
of vaccine have been given.
How many New Zealanders
contracted the epidemic strain despite being fully
immunised?
Since the immunisation programme began in
2004, there have been 46 cases where a New Zealander
contracted the epidemic strain despite being fully immunised
with MeNZB™ vaccine.
While most people are protected
after completing the course, no vaccine provides 100 per
cent protection to everyone. This is why people need to be
vigilant, whether they have been immunised or not, about the
signs and symptoms of meningococcal B disease.
How many
New Zealanders died despite being fully immunised?
There
has been one case where a child died from the epidemic
strain despite being fully immunised.
My child has had
only one MeNZB™ dose. Can they complete the course after 1
June 2008?
Yes if they are under 5 years old. Babies and
children under 5 years who have started their MeNZB™
vaccinations before 1 June 2008 have until 31 December 2008
to complete the course.
Will MeNZB™ vaccine be made
available to anyone else?
Yes. The vaccine will continue
to be made available for high risk groups, such as those
with asplenia and laboratory workers.
Can parents pay for
the vaccine if they want their child to have it?
No.The
MeNZB™ vaccine is not commercially available.
What if
the epidemic returns in the next few years?
The Ministry
of Health will continue to monitor meningococcal B disease
and will have a supply of MeNZB™ available if disease
rates increase substantially. The Ministry will also develop
criteria that would be used to determine the need for the
reintroduction of the vaccine, either at a national or local
level.
What happens next?
Pneumococcal disease is now
having a greater impact in our communities. The pneumococcal
vaccine, Prevenar is the new priority for New Zealand babies
and will be available free from 1 June 2008 to all babies
born from 1 January 2008.
What do parents need to do now
about meningococcal disease?
Even though meningococcal B
epidemic strain disease rates are low, the disease is still
present. The MeNZB™ vaccine protects against the strain of
meningococcal B causing the epidemic, but it will not
protect against other strains. This is why New Zealanders
still need to watch out for the signs and symptoms of this
disease, and seek medical help immediately if they are
concerned.
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal
disease is a bacterial infection. It causes severe illnesses
including meningitis (an infection of membranes that cover
the brain) and septicaemia (a serious infection in the
blood). There are several strains of bacteria which cause
meningococcal disease including A, B and C. MeNZB™
vaccine was developed to protect against the strain of
meningococcal B causing the New Zealand epidemic.
What are the symptoms?
In the early stages
meningococcal disease may look like influenza. It can
progress quickly and can be difficult to diagnose.
A
baby or child might have a fever;
- be crying or
unsettled;
- refuse drinks or feeds;
- vomit;
- be
sleepy, floppy or hard to wake;
- dislike bright
lights;
- have a rash or spots.
An adult may
have:
- a fever or headache;
- a stiff neck, joint
pain or aching muscles;
- may vomit, be sleepy, confused,
delirious or unconscious;
- dislike bright lights;
-
have a rash or spots.
Who made the MeNZB™ vaccine and
how was it developed for use in New Zealand?
New Zealand
has had an epidemic of group B meningococcal disease since
1991. The MeNZB™ vaccine was developed to target the
particular strain of bacteria that is causing the epidemic.
Other meningococcal B vaccines that are available do not
give protection from this particular bacterium.
MeNZB™ was manufactured by Chiron Corporation (now Novartis) and is based on a vaccine that was developed and tested by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) in the 1990s for another strain of group B meningococcal disease. The vaccine went through clinical trials before the immunisation programme began. There was comprehensive safety monitoring throughout the programme.
More information is available at http://www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation and http://www.immunise.moh.govt.nz/
ENDS