Newly Government funded vaccine offers increased pneumococcal disease coverage for New Zealand children
Thursday 30 June 2011, 9:49AM
By Synflorix
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A newly Government funded pneumococcal vaccine called Synflorix will be rolled out across
doctors’ surgeries from 1 July providing increased coverage of pneumococcal disease for New
Zealand children.
Synflorix replaces an older vaccine on the National Immunisation Schedule and will be
offered to all children at the current paediatric immunisation schedule timelines, six weeks
and three, five and 15 months of age.
Fully funded, Synflorix offers increased disease coverage of potentially fatal diseases such
as meningitis (an infection of the spinal cord and brain lining), sepsis (a form of blood
poisoning) and pneumonia caused by common pneumococcal bacteria.
Prior to pneumococcal vaccine implementation in June 2008 almost 5,000 New Zealand
children under the age of five years were admitted to hospital each year with pneumococcal
disease.
In addition to immunising children against severe pneumococcal disease, sepsis and
meningitis, Synflorix is designed to target the two leading causes of bacterial ear infections.
Studies have shown that ear infections can occur in up to 83 percent of children by the age
of three, resulting in approx 83,000 visits to GPs and 5,000 hospital admissions each year in
New Zealand.
Ear infections disproportionately affect Maori and Pacific Island children. As a consequence
10 percent of Maori and 11 percent of Pacific Island children fail hearing checks when
starting school at five years of age compared with only four percent of NZ European
children. Studies have also shown that persistent ear disease in childhood may contribute to
poor hearing and antisocial behaviour later in life.
For more information on Synflorix parents can talk to their practice nurse or family doctor or
phone the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) toll free on 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863).
Information is also available on the IMAC website at www.immune.org.nz and the Ministry of
Health website at www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation.