Meningococcal B scare prompts call for free immunisation program
Charlie's mother Alyce Ware said she doesn't want any other parent to go through what her family experienced. (ABC Esperance: Andrew Williams)
In short:
Alyce Ware's son Charlie almost died earlier in the year when he contracted Meningococcal B.
The five-year-old was in a medically induced coma for days after being flown to Perth Children's Hospital.
What's next?
Ms Ware and Meningitis Centre Australia are calling for vaccination against Meningococcal B to be added to Western Australia's free immunisation program.
Alyce Ware had no idea just how sick her five-year-old son, Charlie, was when she received a call from his school teacher that he was unwell earlier this year.
Charlie, an energetic boy, was uncharacteristically quiet and got worse as the day went on.
Just before midnight, Ms Ware and her husband, Dan, made the decision to call an ambulance out to their farm in Munglinup, a small farming community about 590 kilometres from Perth on Western Australia's south coast.
Charlie was flown to Perth Children's Hospital from Esperance by the Royal Flying Doctor's Service. (Supplied: Meningitis Centre Australia)
Charlie had started to develop a rash, and by the time the ambulance arrived 40 minutes later it had started to creep up his face.
"They did the glass test and they instantly knew it was meningococcal," Ms Ware said.
A rash that does not fade under the pressure of a glass or tumbler may be a sign of the disease.
From there it was a whirlwind.
Charlie was rushed to Esperance Health Campus, about 100km away.
Charlie was rushed to the Esperance Health Campus via ambulance. (ABC Esperance: Andrew Williams)
There it was decided he needed to be flown to Perth Children's Hospital (PCH).
Fifteen hours after the ambulance was first called, Charlie had travelled almost 700km by land and air, and been placed in a medically induced coma.
"It didn't feel real,"Ms Ware said.
Alyce Ware and her son Charlie return to Esperance Hospital where he was first treated. (ABC Esperance: Andrew Williams)
"I didn't realise how sick he was."
Charlie spent more than two weeks at PCH, and during that time he spent four days in a coma in the intensive care unit after developing sepsis.
"It really put into perspective how quickly things can go wrong," she said.
"We could lose him in a blink of an eye."
Charlie was in a coma for four days in Perth Children's Hospital intensive care unit. (Supplied: Meningitis Centre Australia)
Pushing for change
Ms Ware said Charlie's life-threatening ordeal could have been avoided if he was immunised for meningococcal B, but it is not currently on the free schedule of vaccines.
In WA, the meningococcal ACWY vaccine is on the free schedule for children, while the MenB vaccine is free for specific groups like Aboriginal infants or infants with certain medical conditions.
In Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory the MenB vaccine is on the free schedule.
"We would love it to be on the [free] schedule," Ms Ware said.
"We'd also love the knowledge to be out there."
Alyce Ware says she realised how quickly she could have lost her son to the disease. (ABC Esperance: Andrew Williams)
She said she had not heard of the specific strain of the disease until hospital staff asked her if Charlie had received the meningococcal B vaccine.
"We had no clue that this was around when he had his needles as a baby," Ms Ware said,
She said a dose of the vaccine costs $145, and with three children, the cost would add up quickly.
'Every second counts' in the regions
Meningitis Centre Australia (MCA) advocates for research and awareness around diseases such as meningitis and meningococcal.
MCA has joined with Ms Ware in calling on the WA government to provide free Meningococcal B vaccinations to all children under two years of age and teenagers aged 15 to 20.
Chief executive Karen Quick said Charlie was lucky to be alive.
"The quick action of local ambulance officers saved his life, but not every remote or regional child will have that same chance," she said.
"Meningococcal B kills one in 10 people and moves incredibly fast … every second counts."
Karen Quick hopes all states and territories will add the Meningococcal B vaccine to their childhood immunisation schedules. (ABC News: Glyn Jones)
Ms Quick said vaccination would provide protection to all.
"It shouldn't come down to good luck or geography whether a WA child survives Meningococcal B," she said.
"WA's remote kids deserve that protection."
Government response
In a statement, Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton said the state government was "vigilant in our response to meningococcal disease through proactive immunisation programs and surveillance".
"MenB has been funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) since July 2020 for Aboriginal and medically at-risk children.
"The program is demonstrating positive coverage for these vulnerable cohorts.
"The Department of Health closely monitors all serious notifiable diseases, and continues to provide Ministers with advice regarding the requirements relating to MenB and other strains."
Sabine Winton says the government is closely monitoring all serious notifiable diseases. (ABC News: James Carmody)