A grieving Horsley mother is frustrated that politicians and governments are failing to respond to her calls to make the meningococcal B vaccine part of the state's immunisation program.
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Stacey Chater lost her son Brayden in November 2022 to meningococcal disease.
It was only after the 23-year-old's death that his family learnt that Brayden was immunised against four meningococcal strains as a school student - but not B, the strain that made him ill.
The Chater family has joined forces with Meningitis Centre Australia to campaign the NSW government to make the meningococcal B vaccine available for free to babies and teenagers as part of its immunisation plan, just as the vaccine for the other strains is provided.
An online petition has garnered over 11,000 signatures and Mrs Chater has met with dozens of MPs - including NSW Health Minister Ryan Park and federal Health Minister Mark Butler - but lawmakers seemingly haven't progressed the matter.
"It's very frustrating, the amount of time it's been going on and getting very limited feedback from anyone at the government," Mrs Chater said.
Meningitis Centre Australia chief executive officer Karen Quick met with Mr Park - who himself grew up in Dapto - alongside Mrs Chater in November.
Mrs Quick said Mr Park had committed to writing to the federal government to ask for a 50-50 split on the cost of funding the inclusion of the meningococcal vaccine in the program, and if that did not eventuate, would look at what else he could do.
Mr Park himself did not respond to questions from the Mercury, but a NSW government spokesperson said: "Minister Park wrote to the Federal Minister for Health proposing that he request Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to re-assess the inclusion of meningococcal B vaccine in the National Immunisation Program (NIP)".
The PBAC last considered the meningococcal B vaccine for broader inclusion in the NIP in 2019 but did not recommend it because of uncertainty around cost-effectiveness and a lack of data on the clinical effectiveness among adolescents.
But Mrs Quick said the costs of providing the vaccine were far outweighed by disability costs associated with the illness, as well as the human cost.
"What cost do you put on a life?" she said.
The impact of the vaccine for the ACWY strains was clear, Mrs Quick said: in 2023 there were 36 meningococcal cases in NSW and at least 28 of these were the result of the B strain.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends the meningococcal B vaccine for all infants under two, and all teens aged 15 to 19.
But under the NIP, the only people who can receive the meningococcal B vaccine for free are Indigenous babies and some people with certain medical conditions.
Anyone else who wishes to receive the vaccine or have their children immunised against meningococcal B need to pay, but at least two doses are needed depending on age and one costs over $100.
Mrs Chater has vowed to continue campaigning for the vaccine to be made more widely available, bolstered by the community's support.
"Without that support it would be very hard to continue, but I am going to keep fighting and I'm not going to stop, ever, because I'm doing it for Brayden and I don't want anyone else to go through this, I don't want his death to be in vain," she said.
Mr Butler did not comment but the federal Health Department provided information in response to questions to the minister's office.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
