In the wake of the death of a toddler with meningococcal disease B strain, pressure is mounting on the Government to subsidise a vaccine for the B strain of the infectious disease.
A paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week shows the number of cases are on the rise this year, after a downward trend over the last 15 years.
Previous calls to subsidise the B vaccine were rejected by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, citing a lack of evidence to justify including it.
Currently the only meningococcal vaccine provided for in the schedule is the C strain.
The parents of Darwin girl Skylar Lawrence, who died in October, are among those campaigning to have the B strain vaccine freely provided to all children in Australia.
"We didn't know that there were other strains of meningoccocal," her father Ashley Lawrence said.
"When you vaccinate your kid you think they're vaccinated against meningococcal."
Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles said she met Mr Lawrence and his wife and raised the issue at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.
"When it comes to meningococcal B there is a significant body of work that needs to be done before the Federal Government can approve it for the national schedule," Ms Fyles said in a statement.
UK rollout saw 50 per cent fall in cases
The head of clinical research at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), Professor Robert Booy, said the recent rollout of B vaccines in the United Kingdom could provide the evidence required to include it.
"The UK is the first country in the world as of about two years ago to introduce the B vaccine for babies and children," he said.
The Australian medical journal study examined the UK rollout and found the program had proven to be effective, with the number of cases among vaccine-eligible infants falling by 50 per cent.
Professor Booy said the new vaccine required only two doses instead of the usual three, and provided cross-protection for other strains of the disease.
'It may lead to changes in the schedule soon'
He said the success of the program in the UK would play a big part in the decision over whether or not to subsidise it in Australia.
"We always have to look at the cost effectiveness," Professor Booy said.
"So these things are all going to be looked at, they're all going to be thought about.
"It may lead to changes in the national schedule before too long."
He said it is up to the companies making the vaccines to make a new submission to subsidise the vaccine.
