1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: But the calls for Menainger cocklebe to be put on 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: the immunization plan for territory kids, which is said to 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: save lives and prevent disability, well they're getting louder. The 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Meningitis Center of Australia's CEO, Karen Quick is lobbying Northern 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: Territory ministers this week to adopt the change which has 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: recently been made in Queensland, and she joins me in 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: the studio right now. Good morning to you, Karen, Good 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: morning to you. Thank you so much for joining us. 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: And look, this is something that we've spoken about on 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: the show before. I think it's incredibly important. As the 11 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: mum of two young kids, I think it's such an 12 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: important thing for those out there listening this morning who 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: don't know exactly what menager cockle is. Can you just 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: explain it to us? 15 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: First off, I can, because babies and teens are at 16 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: really high risk. So it's a bacteria that sits in 17 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: the back of twenty to thirty percent of people's noses 18 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: and their throats and if you get a cold or 19 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: it gets passed on to you and say you have 20 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: a cold or you're a little bit immunocompromise that can 21 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 2: invade your body, get into your bloodstream and go straight 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: up to the lining of the brain. 23 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 3: Got them in NINJASP and it just can. It's an 24 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 3: awful disease. You can be fine in the morning, I. 25 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 2: See you by lunchtime, and it can be all over 26 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 2: by dinner that night, twenty four hours from start to finish. 27 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 3: In some cases, it's just dreadful. It's actually and it's frightening. 28 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: You know, people listening will be thinking, that's something that 29 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: I want to if I can prevent my children, or 30 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: from my teenager, or from any of my loved ones 31 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: from getting. 32 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: It's truly dreadful. 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: And what's really sad is because parents already get vaccinated 34 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: against the strains of acw Yman ninja cockle well, they 35 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: think their children are fully vaccinated, but they're not. 36 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 3: There is one vaccination the me ninja cock will be. 37 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 2: Who's and the cases are on the rise, and it's 38 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: awful they're not vaccinated against that. They have to go 39 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: and pay for it themselves. 40 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: So tell me where are we in terms of trying 41 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: to get this added to the vaccination list for young 42 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: people or for people here in the Northern Territory. 43 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: Okay, Well, federally it's going to be a really long process. 44 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 3: It's an old adiquated process and they're reviewing it at 45 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 3: the moment. It could take years. But here in the 46 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,399 Speaker 3: Northern Territory, your. 47 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 2: Health Minister and the Health Minister, they can do it 48 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 2: right here, right now. Do you know In Queensland we 49 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 2: spoke to the new Health minister there, she made that 50 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: decision and announced it within two weeks, that's all it 51 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: took her, and that was in September. It's been rolled 52 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: out right now to all their babies and teenagers. 53 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 3: It can happen here. They just have to want to 54 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 3: do it. 55 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,399 Speaker 1: And look, we've spoken before as well to Sally who 56 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: is indeed the mum of little Skyler whose life was lost, 57 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: and we've spoken about her initiative that her and Ash 58 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: had all those years ago for Shara Chino with Skyler 59 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: and the the awareness that she had been trying to 60 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: So it's something that you know that people are sort 61 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: of familiar with here in the Northern Territory, they actually 62 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: want to happen. So to hear that in Queensland they 63 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: are able to do that quickly, you just sort of 64 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: wonder why not. 65 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 3: It's a no brainer. 66 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 2: Really, it's only going to coss the territory about five 67 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars. 68 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 3: They give out grants for that amount. That's it. 69 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: You know, it's not a lot of money. I'm sure 70 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: they can find that amount in the budget. It's a 71 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 2: no brainer. It's a vaccine preventable disease. You know, we 72 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: work closely with Skyler and with the other families who 73 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: have lost children here in the Northern Territory as well 74 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: as survivors of the disease as dreadful. 75 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: Do you have any idea when you talk about those 76 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: stats here in the Northern Territory, how many people have 77 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: contracted the disease in the NT in recent years. 78 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: In the Northern Territory in the last ten years, we're 79 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 2: looking at over eighteen cases and I say just over 80 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: eighteen cases. 81 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 3: We know eighteen. 82 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 2: Definitely me Ninjacock will be but there are some cases 83 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: that they couldn't say definitely which strain of mem ninja 84 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: ccrlate was. 85 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: And some people might hear that number and think, oh, 86 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't sound very high, but that's you know that 87 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: these cases can be fatal. 88 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 3: They can be fatal. You know, and it's rare until 89 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 3: it happens to you. Yep. 90 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: And you know, as a mum of two kids myself, 91 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: I've got family here in the Northern Territory. You know, 92 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: you don't want that to happen to your children. It's 93 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: fact seem preventable and we can stop this happening to 94 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 2: all of our babies and teenagers right here right now. 95 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: So you've had some meetings since you've been here. Where 96 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: are things that how's that movement? You know in terms 97 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: of speaking to the Chief Minister and speaking to the 98 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: Health Minister, does it look like it could happen? 99 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 2: Look, I haven't been able to spect to the Chief Minister, Okay, 100 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 2: Unfortunately I have spoken to the Health Minister I can 101 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 2: What I can say is there is bipartisan support. 102 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 3: Okay. 103 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 2: So MPs want this to happen. The community want this 104 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: to happen, the media, the GPS, everyone wants it to happen. 105 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 2: So we've just got to do something about it and 106 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 2: get it onto the immunization plan here in the Northern Yeah. 107 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 3: And so is Queensland the only other state to have 108 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 3: done it. 109 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: Know, South Australia right, Yeah, And we have other states 110 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: looking at it as well. It's really important that states 111 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: do this because they will put pressure on the federal government, 112 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 2: just like they did with the ace men Ninjacock or Acwy. 113 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: Once that pressure is on there, they will make it happen. 114 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: Ye, watch your message really for you know, for those 115 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: decision makers this morning. 116 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 2: Just realize how serious this disease is. It's vaccine preventable. 117 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 2: You can do something, and you can do it right here, 118 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: right now. Just make that decision and protect your babies 119 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 2: and children in the Northern Territory. 120 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's good advice. Honestly, it just seems like a 121 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: sensible thing to do. And I know that for a 122 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: lot of us, we feel like, oh, there's so many vaccinations, 123 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: and there's so many different things that you know, you've 124 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: got to be concerned about or got to worry about. 125 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: But this is a really important one, and it is 126 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: something that, like you've said, five hundred dollars to have 127 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: it added to the you know, to the immunization planet 128 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,799 Speaker 1: doesn't seem like a lot of money in the grand 129 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: scheme of things. 130 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: And families can't of afford this vaccination At the moment, 131 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 2: You're looking at two hundred dollars per dose. For families 132 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 2: in this financial Yeah, it shouldn't depend on postcode whether 133 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: you get the vaccination or not. Sport on the MPs 134 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 2: know this, they say, they know this. Let's do something 135 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 2: about it. 136 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, thank you so very much for your time 137 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: this morning. I really appreciate you coming in and having 138 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: a chat with us. 139 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 3: Thank you. Keep yourselves safe, thank you,