By Tom Fedorowytsch
About 4,000 South Australian students could miss out on free vaccines for meningococcal B, because their schools have yet to sign up to a government-backed trial.
This year, students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are eligible for free immunisations, in an effort to build up what is known as “herd immunity” to the dangerous disease.
The trial has been organised by the University of Adelaide and SA Health, through the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and covers the cost of the expensive and difficult-to-find vaccine.
A total of 209 public and private schools have signed up, but the hospital’s Professor Helen Marshall said several had not, meaning 4,000 young people could end up not being vaccinated.
“It’s a good opportunity for all students to be involved in the study, and ideally … we’d like schools that are a bit unsure or undecided to contact us, so we can work through any concerns or problems,” she said.
“We do have to respect that schools are a busy place … but we see immunisation as a really important area.”
Professor Marshall advised concerned parents to contact their children’s schools.
The next step for participating schools is to hand out parental consent forms, and from April the vaccinations would be given by nurses similar to other immunisations.