Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about meningococcal disease. It's my melancholy duty to inform the House of the death of six-month-old Jordan Braddock of Mount Gambier. Jordan died within hours of showing symptoms of contracting meningococcal, which was later confirmed as the meningococcal B strain. As a father of two young children, I can only imagine what Jordan's parents are going through right now. I extend my deepest sympathies to Jordan's family. Jordan's death has prompted me to again speak in this place about this devastating disease and the need for a vaccine.

The federal government has recently introduced the quad-strain meningococcal vaccination to the National Immunisation Program for children 12 months old. This followed a submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the committee's subsequent recommendation to include the vaccine on the National Immunisation Program. This is fantastic news, but the quad strain doesn't cover the B serotype of the meningococcal bacteria. The vaccine for the B serotype, Bexsero, will not be up for consideration by the PBAC until mid-2019, when the trial in South Australia is complete.

I am lobbying for a state based vaccination program in South Australia to cover our children against the disease until such time as the national program can be implemented. We know that the disease has a high rate of presentation in South Australia, with infants under two years of age being most at risk. I will keep working to ensure deaths like Jordan's are avoided.