The Victorian Government’s announcement this week that it will fund free meningococcal B vaccines for teenagers has been met with mixed emotions from families who have lost loved ones to the deadly disease.
The state has allocated $9 million to include the B strain vaccine alongside the existing meningococcal A, C, W, and Y vaccines for Year 10 students under the National Immunisation Program.
Meningococcal B is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause severe illness or death within as little as 24 hours, making early prevention critical.
With other strains already covered by routine immunisation, meningococcal B has become the dominant form of the disease in Australia, accounting for around 80 per cent of cases.
Three jurisdictions—Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory—already provide free meningococcal B vaccines for teenagers and infants, while Tasmania is set to follow from July.
With Victoria now joining the program, New South Wales and Western Australia remain the only states yet to offer state-funded access to the vaccine.
While the vaccine is available privately, full protection requires multiple doses, costing around $140 per injection, making it a significant financial burden for many families.
Although welcomed as a breakthrough, the Victorian program has been criticised for its limited scope, as it is currently funded for only one year and does not include infants, who are among the most vulnerable.
Melbourne mother Norliah Syer-Peterson has been a leading advocate for the vaccine since her 16-year-old son Levi died from meningococcal B infection in 2024.
Levi, a healthy school student, went from mild flu-like symptoms to losing his life within 12 hours, highlighting the sudden and aggressive nature of the disease.
Syer-Peterson previously presented a petition with more than 41,000 signatures to parliament, urging the government to fund the vaccine for all eligible children and teenagers.
She said that while the decision comes too late for her son, she is relieved that other families may now be spared similar tragedies, though she continues to call for broader access, including for infants.
The push for a national rollout faced a setback in March when the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) rejected inclusion of the vaccine in the national program, citing cost concerns despite acknowledging its effectiveness.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has since urged New South Wales to urgently fund the vaccine, warning that children remain at avoidable risk without universal access.
NSW mother Stacey Chater, who lost her son Brayden to meningococcal B in 2022, has also been campaigning for change, saying her repeated appeals to the government have gone unanswered.
Chater said she is frustrated by the lack of progress in New South Wales, especially as other states move ahead, and questioned why life-saving protection is not being made equally available across the country.
A NSW Health spokesperson said meningococcal disease rates remain low but confirmed that the situation continues to be monitored closely, with vaccination policies guided by current evidence and program developments in other states.
