July 04, 2023
Free vax needed to stem meningitis threat
Māori paediatrician Dr Owen Sinclair says the meningococcal B vaccine is to be made widely available urgently – and for free.
He says meningitis is a nasty, fast-acting disease – especially for tamariki and teenagers – and is fatal in about 1o percent of cases, and for 20 percent of cases, there can be severe side effects like loss of limbs.
Maori are 8 times more likely to get infected, and it’s worse for Pasifika people.
And so if we were serious about getting rid of inequities, those groups – at least – would be able to get it free for life.
Dr Sinclair says as shown during the Covid vaccine roll out, Maori did a far better job of vaccinating their own people than mainstream healthcare…and the same approach is needed.