Meningococcal incidence changing

Incidence of the meningococcal disease strain which killed an Invercargill teenager is rising in proportion to the strain that many people have been vaccinated against, Otago and Southland medical officer of health Dr Derek Bell says.

He credits the vaccination programme between 2004 and 2006 for those under 20 - until 2008 for preschoolers - with the dramatic fall-off in the number of cases.

Family members of Sara Loo, who died from meningococcal septicemia last month, have been vaccinated against the strain that killed her.

Sara died in Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, after contracting meningococcal C in May.

She had one hand, and both legs amputated below the knee, in an effort to control the disease.

Writing on a Facebook page set up for Sara, her mother, Caroline, said she and her daughter, Rachel, had received the vaccine, which costs about $50.

Mrs Loo said the vaccine lasted three years, and was available free in many other countries.

Dr Bell said the incidence of meningococcal C varied from year to year.

As the B epidemic waned, the incidence of meningococcal C rose as a proportion of cases.

In 2003, there were 259 meningococcal B cases, compared with 40 last year.

In comparison, there were 45 cases of meningococcal C in 2003, compared with 29 last year.

The meningococcal B programme was not without controversy, after an Auckland University study revealed that antibodies against the disease fell off rapidly in the first year after the injection.

However, the Ministry of Health advises on its website that the vaccine may still be providing protection, because the relationship between antibodies and the immune system is unknown.

This was also demonstrated by the modest number of cases being reported, the website says.

Vaccination for meningococcal B is still free to those with a higher medical risk of the disease.

A Ministry of Health spokesman told the Otago Daily Times meningococcal C was not on the vaccine schedule because it was still uncommon.

So far this year, 13 cases had been reported, he said.

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