In Australiathe Ministry of Health of New South Wales urges parents and young people to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease.
So far this year, 15 cases of meningococcal meningitis have been reported in New South Wales. The New South Wales Department of Health recently reported 2 cases of meningococcal disease in people who attended the festival Splendour in the Grass 2022 July 21-24 at North Byron Parklands in Yelgun. One such case is a man in his 40s from Sydney who died of the disease. His infection was identified after his death and notified to New South Wales Health (NSW) on August 4, 2022.
In Australia, while meningococcal infections are now rare thanks to vaccination, they can occur all year round with increases in cases in late winter and early spring, children under five and people between the ages of 15 and 25 at the greatest risk of contracting the disease.
As part of the National Immunization Program, the vaccine against ACWY meningococcus (Men ACWY) is provided free of charge to babies to 12 months, teenagers and people of all ages with certain medical conditions. As of July 1, 2020, Indigenous children up to age 2, and people with certain medical conditions, can also access for free
vaccine against meningococcus B (Men B).
Sources : ForeignAffairs.co.nz ; Outbreak News Today.