Libby Mettam: Just $6 million to save kids’ lives is not good enough

Every day in WA, parents decide not to vaccinate their children against deadly meningococcal B.

The parents making this choice are not anti-vaxxers, they do not have a religious objection, they know the deadly risks of meningococcal B to their children, and they would like to vaccinate their children. They simply cannot afford to.

This is just not acceptable in a State as wealthy as WA.

Meningococcal B is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia in children and adolescents but for most WA parents it costs $600 to fully vaccinate a newborn and $400 to fully vaccinate an adolescent against meningococcal B.

At a time when a record number of WA families are living in financial hardship, a correspondingly record number of families simply cannot afford $600 per child for the vaccine.

Added to this sad reality is the fact that the number of cases of meningococcal B diagnosed in WA this year is double last year’s figure.

No child’s safety should be determined by their family’s financial situation, which his why I have committed a WA Liberal government to funding a comprehensive free meningococcal B vaccination program.

For eight years, the Labor government has steadfastly — and unreasonably — refused to fund a meningococcal B vaccine roll out, leaving tens of thousands of WA babies, children and adolescents at risk.

A survey of parents of unvaccinated children in WA found a staggering 90 per cent of parents would like their children to be vaccinated but cannot afford it.

Rolling out the meningococcal B vaccination program will cost $6 million annually.

The Cook Labor Government has truly lost its radar when it prioritises free entry for families to the zoo and museum over vaccinating babies and adolescents as part of its “cost-of-living relief” initiatives before vaccinating children against a deadly disease. Our State can afford to do both.

What we cannot afford is projects such as Metronet blowing out from $3 billion to $12 billion and sucking revenue away from truly worthy initiatives. What we cannot afford is to play Russian roulette with the safety of our children.

There is no economic argument for the Premier’s refusal to fund a free meningococcal B vaccination program.

The WA Liberals’ free vaccination program will not only save lives, it will also ease pressures on our health and disability support systems, a key commitment in our Building a Better Future blueprint.

A vaccine for Meningococcal ACWY strains is currently given to babies at 12 months and to teenagers in Year 10, but the vaccine does not include cover for the most prevalent form of meningococcal, the B strain.

Research by Meningitis Centre Australia found many parents mistakenly assumed the current meningococcal vaccine covered all strains.

The cost of incorporating the B strain into the existing vaccine program is overwhelmingly outweighed by the long-term economic benefits.

The lifetime cost of caring for and treating just one person suffering long-term disability as a result of a meningococcal B infection is estimated at more than $10 million.

As a caring society, we willingly meet this cost. But as an even more caring society, we should willingly prevent it even happening.

This truly is low-hanging fruit to keep young West Australians safe and it deserves priority, especially off the back of the biggest mining boom in our state’s history.

I met yesterday with representatives from Meningitis Centre Australia at the launch of their meningococcal B memory tree campaign to raise awareness of meningococcal B and to lobby for a free vaccine.

The centre recently co-ordinated a letter-writing petition from more than 3000 parents urging the Government to implement a free vaccine.

Premier Roger Cook was also invited to the event but declined to attend.

Both the stories and the statistics around meningococcal B are truly frightening.

Nearly 90 per cent of children and teenagers who are killed by meningococcal B die within 24 hours of diagnosis. One in five survivors are left with permanent disability, including brain damage, hearing loss and loss of limbs.

A WA Liberal government meningococcal B vaccination program would align with existing immunisations for meningococcal ACWY strains and be available free to all children, adolescents, and high-risk groups across the state.

The same program rolled out in South Australia achieved a 60 per cent reduction in meningococcal B cases among infants and a 73 per cent reduction in adolescents, with a vaccine efficacy of up to 100 per cent in these groups. That’s a lot of heartbreak avoided.

I am totally committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of WA’s most vulnerable populations.

This policy will ensure no child’s safety is determined by their family’s financial situation.

The WA Liberal Party believes in proactive, equitable healthcare solutions, and this policy underscores our commitment to a healthier and safer future for all.

Libby Mettam is the WA Liberal leader