1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Well as we know. The colp's free Manager cockle Be 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: vaccines are now available to babies age six weeks to 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: two years old and teenagers aged fourteen to nineteen. The 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: program aims to safeguard young Territorians from a rare but 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: devastating disease, with four two hundred babies and eighteen thousand, 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: five hundred teens eligible for the immunizations. Now joining us 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: on the line for an update on the vaccine program 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: is the Northern Territories Chief Health Officer, doctor Christine Connors. 9 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Good morning Katie. 10 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. Now, Christine, can 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: you remind us how serious manager Cocklebe is if a 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: young person contracts it. 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 2: Look, meningitis of any variant is fortunately rare that we've 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: actually had a vaccine which we give to students in 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: year nine that covers off the most common strains ACW Y, 16 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: which has meant that meningitis B has used that as 17 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 2: the opportunity to slip through and now be a significant 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: cause of meningitis. As I said, meningitis is rare. The 19 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: problem is when you get it, you get sick extraordinarily quickly. 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: It starts off looking like you've just got a cold 21 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: or fever or maybe a migraine, and literally within twenty 22 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: four hours you can be critically ill in ICU or 23 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: possibly even have died in extraordinarily rapid For people who survive, 24 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 2: they often have significant complications. It causes a whole lot 25 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: of internal clotting, so it is as a nasty disease. 26 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 2: It's certainly one that scares health professionals and any person, 27 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: any family who's they had any experience. I know exactly 28 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: how serious and how severe it is. 29 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, can you tell me how many cases and deaths 30 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: have there been in the Northern Territory in recent years. 31 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: Well over the last ten years we've had twenty cases, 32 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 2: so you know that shows you it is rare. But 33 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 2: of those twenty cases, four people died. 34 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've you know, we've spoken to one of 35 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: those families who lost their little one. It is absolutely devastating. 36 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: I mean, the loss of anybody through this illness is 37 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: obviously devastating. But now we know that the as you've 38 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: touched on, obviously the vaccine is indeed available, there is 39 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: there can be lifelong implications as well though as well, 40 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: can't there If you do survive well, as. 41 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: I said, it's because of how the body reacts to 42 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 2: the meningitis bacteria, and you actually end up getting a 43 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 2: whole lot of internal clotting, which can then end up 44 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: blocking blood supply to your legs, to your feet, to 45 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: your hands, to your kidneys. That's where people end up 46 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 2: often with the significant ongoing complications as well as obviously 47 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: because it's meningitis, you may in fact end up with 48 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: damage to the brain. 49 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: Now, doctor Connors, tell me what's the response been like 50 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: since January one in getting the vaccines. Have you got 51 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: the latest figures? 52 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, we've been really please. Over six hundred families 53 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 2: have come along. The majority of that has been for 54 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: young children under the age of two, but we've had 55 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 2: about thirty five teenagers come along as well, so that's 56 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 2: been fantastic. We thought everyone was either going to be 57 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: away or busy and not really thinking about it. So 58 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 2: it's a great start to the year in terms of 59 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,119 Speaker 2: I think the word is getting out there. I think 60 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 2: people are taking advantage of it, and i'd certainly encourage 61 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: families to make sure they are doing that. Our Center 62 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: for Disease Control is actively going through data and records 63 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: for young children and for teenagers and where we've got 64 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 2: contact details, texting and reminding people that they're eligible and 65 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: to make sure that they bring their child along before 66 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 2: they've turned two or before the teenager has turned nineteen 67 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 2: and start the vaccination schedule. For infants who are between 68 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 2: the age of one and two, it's a two dose 69 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 2: schedule and the same for teenagers. 70 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: And so, like you touched on there, you're obviously sending 71 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: those messages out to remind people. And then do families 72 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: just go through their GP to do that? 73 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 2: They can just ring up their GP, they can ring 74 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: up their community care center, particularly for the little kids. 75 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 2: Community pharmacists will offer it mostly at this stage, just 76 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 2: for the teenagers. So there's a range of ways that 77 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: people can access it. Yeah. 78 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: And then when it comes to that role out for 79 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: year nine students, are they going to is it going 80 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: to sort of happen through the schools like it does 81 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: with some of the other vaccinations or what will happen there? 82 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, as I said, we already give a meningidis 83 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 2: vaccine that includes the strains acw Y, so we already 84 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: give that in year nine yep, and so we're going 85 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 2: to take advantage of that and give the meningitis B 86 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 2: at the same time, we will have to come back 87 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 2: two months later to give the second dose. Probably the 88 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: really big thing for the school vaccine programs is for 89 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,239 Speaker 2: parents to make sure they've looked at for consent form 90 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 2: and they've sent it back, because we can't vaccinate your 91 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: child if we don't have your written consent. 92 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: Yep, fair enough, Now tell me, is there a bit 93 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: for the detail in terms of the catch up program 94 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: then for students in ten in years ten, eleven and twelve. 95 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 2: Look, we're planning that at the moment. To be frank, 96 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 2: it's often a bit of a logistical nightmare. You know, 97 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 2: Year twelve finish earlier in the year, clearly, and it's 98 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: a two dose schedule, so we've got to make sure 99 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: we give them that two month leeway. Teachers naturally are 100 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: very protective of time, especially for year twelve, but for 101 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: any of those senior students, they really don't like them 102 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: missing out on class time. So yeah, it is a 103 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 2: bit of a logistic nightmare. We've done it before with 104 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 2: other vaccines, and we work really closely obviously with Education Department. 105 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 2: But look, we need to do quite a bit of 106 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 2: planning to make sure we maximize the number of kids. 107 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: Having said that, any teenagers who are keen to get 108 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: the vaccine earlier, you could go to a GP, you 109 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: could go to a community pharmacist. 110 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: Doctor Connors. Has there been any vaccine hesitancy with this one? 111 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: Too soon to say, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, maybe 112 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: in a year's time we'll be able to compare how 113 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 2: we went with school vaccine programs compared to other school 114 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 2: vaccine programs, how we went with the catch up program 115 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 2: for the little babies. I mean, we're just integrating it 116 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: into their routine schedule, so hopefully we haven't we haven't 117 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 2: seen a significant drop for the really little ones. Where 118 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: we are seeing some drops in coverage is more at 119 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 2: like the five year old level, the two year old level, 120 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 2: where you know, it hasn't been a massive drop, but 121 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: we've definitely seen a reduction. We've seen that around the 122 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: country and unfortunately we're seeing it globally. And one of 123 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: the issues there is, you know, with the drop in coverage, 124 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: like we've got huge hooping cough outbreaks in New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, 125 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 2: and that's actually something we do need to be thinking 126 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 2: about here. We almost certainly will have had families go 127 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 2: south to visit other family they may well be coming 128 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 2: back with hooping coss. 129 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: So that's a really good point, and I would you know, 130 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: obviously you're the chief health officers, so you know better 131 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: than most, but that's such an incredibly good point. I know, 132 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: even towards the end of last year, we were certainly 133 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: notified I won't so why which school, but by the 134 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: school to let us know that there'd been cases of 135 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: hooping cough and I thought, wow, throughout my children's whole 136 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: sort of schooling life, I'd never really previously seen that. 137 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: So there does seem to be more cases of hooping. 138 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: Cough, absolutely huge numbers. On the East Coast. We've definitely 139 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 2: had increased cases, not as significant, but really the big 140 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: risk I mean hooping cough, Like if you get hooping cough, 141 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: I get hooping cough. Now it's literally a pain. The 142 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 2: cough can last for months, regardless of antibiotic treatment, so 143 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 2: it's very annoying. But the big risk is for tiny 144 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 2: babies if they get hooping cough, they don't make a 145 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 2: loud coughing noise, They silently go into a spa and 146 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 2: stop breathing. 147 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,079 Speaker 1: Oh goodness, may. 148 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: Oh it's horrifying. 149 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, horror and terrifying. 150 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 2: Ye. Make sure you get an updated hooping cough vaccine. 151 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 2: It's free, yep. And if you're a family or close 152 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 2: friends and you're going to be seeing a new little baby, 153 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: especially in the first few months before they had any vaccination, 154 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 2: make sure you're up to date with your vaccine. 155 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. Really, really good point, doctor Connors. Do you have 156 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: any numbers in terms of, you know, the volume of 157 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: cases we've had in the Northern Territory around hooping cough 158 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: in recent months. 159 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 2: Look, off the top of my head, I can't tell you. 160 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 2: We can, we can get those numbers and provide them, 161 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 2: but at the moment, I can't tell you. 162 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: I guess what I'm wondering is, you know, like whether 163 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 1: we've had sort of a significant I know it's not 164 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: as significant as other states, but whether we have had 165 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: an increase increase. 166 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 2: We've absolutely had an increase. Thank you. Yeah, no, I 167 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 2: have been advised of that. Yeah. 168 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: Well, doctor Christine Connors, the Chief Health Officer for the 169 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: Northern Territory. I really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks 170 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: so much for coming on the Shy. 171 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: Thanks very much. 172 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: Thank you.