(NSW) Fund Meningococcal B Vaccination Through the School-Based Vaccination Program
- Amy O’Brien, Philip Alex, Genevieve Lancaster, Clare Molesworth & Allie Flanders
- Jun 30
- 8 min read
Author: Amy O’Brien, Philip Alex, Genevieve Lancaster, Clare Molesworth & Allie Flanders | Publish date: 30/6/2026
Content Warning: Illness and death of a child
P: The NSW Government does not fund Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination as part of its state immunisation program.
S: The NSW Health Minister should expand the NSW School Vaccination Program to include free MenB vaccinations.
E: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP): ‘calling on the NSW Government to urgently fund meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines as part of its immunisation program’.
Problem Identification:
The NSW School-Based Vaccination Program (SVP) provides Meningococcal ACWY vaccines for free to students. Under the National Immunisation Program (NIP), the MenB vaccination is free for ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants … and people with certain medical conditions’. According to NSW Health, ‘infants and children under 2 years, adolescents, and people with certain medical conditions are strongly recommended to receive both Meningococcal vaccines’, yet they are ineligible for free MenB vaccinations under the SVP.
According to The Medical Journal of Australia (InSight+) this means that access to MenB vaccination is not aligned with the broader clinical recommendations. They said this has resulted in unequal uptake due to ‘significant financial barrier[s]’ and ‘patchwork protection’ for adolescents outside funded eligibility groups.
Context:
The NIP refers to a program that ‘provides free vaccines to eligible people to help reduce diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.’ NSW-funded additional free vaccines are ‘additional vaccines provided free in NSW for eligible people’ that are not included in the NIP.
The Chair of RACGP QLD, Dr Cathryn Hester, stated, ‘meningococcal disease is a very serious infection that can cause severe scarring, loss of limbs, brain damage and death’. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that ‘up to one in 10 patients with meningococcal disease will die and up to one in 5 surviving patients will suffer from long-term health problems.’ According to a report by Lahra et al (2024), ‘from 2022, MenB has accounted for more than 84% of IMD [invasive meningococcal disease] in Australia’. Professor Griffin highlighted that Australia could ‘experience an outbreak of meningitis like the UK due to lack of public awareness about meningococcal B and vaccination’.
Arguments:
Insight+ stated that the cost of the MenB vaccine ‘provides a significant financial barrier to vaccination for low-income populations and those under financial stress’. Professor Peter Richmond argued that ‘parents wanting full protection … must purchase a separate Men B vaccine privately at a significant cost of at least $100 per dose, with each child needing two or three doses … something that may be out of reach for many families’. RACGP found that ‘86% of patients simply cannot afford this lifesaving Meningococcal B vaccination’. RACGP Vice President, Dr Ramya Raman, recognised that ‘breaking this cost barrier will get shots in arms. Out-of-pocket costs shouldn’t prevent parents from protecting their children’.
InSight+ noted that because the MenB vaccine is publicly funded in other states but not NSW, ‘state-specific policies lead to inequity of access’. They further observed that ‘the [MenB] vaccine is free for children and adolescents in SA, QLD, NT and recently TAS’ and now VIC, but not NSW. Researchers from the University of Western Australia stated that ‘diseases don’t respect state or national borders … [and] we must ensure where a person lives doesn’t determine whether or not they [are] protected’. After Norliah’s son, Levi, died of MenB sepsis, she expressed, ‘if Levi lived in another state, then he could still be alive’.
Mohammed et al. (2021) highlighted ‘one reason for low MenB vaccine uptake among adolescents is lack of routine and publicly funded MenB vaccination programs’. GSK, a biotechnology company, found that ‘79% of parents were not aware that the routine vaccination schedule does not cover all strains of meningococcal disease’. Research by the Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care (DoHDA) highlighted that ‘most parents and students simply defer to “the system”, especially when it comes to knowing which vaccines are appropriate’. RACGP rural chair Professor Michael Clements said that ‘families assumed they did not need any additional vaccines other than what was funded through the National Immunisation Program’.
Advice/Solution Identification:
The RACGP and Meningitis Centre Australia (MCA) have both called for the NSW government to provide the MenB vaccine as part of its school vaccination program. DoHDA highlighted ‘school-based vaccination largely overcomes the issue of cost and access to vaccines … [as] the vaccines are free.’ MCA CEO Karen Quick further stated that ‘free access to the vaccine should not vary state-by-state and should be included under the [NIP]’.
Precedent:
There is domestic precedent for free MenB vaccinations as part of school immunisation programs. In QLD, SA and the NT, free MenB vaccination for infants and adolescents are provided. In TAS and VIC, they have announced that they will introduce MenB vaccination programs in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Public Support:
Broad support:
The 4EK Foundation - They campaigned for the MenB vaccine to be added to the National Immunisation Program, but have not explicitly called for its introduction into School-Based Vaccination Programs in NSW.
This list reflects publicly stated positions and should not necessarily be taken as endorsement of this specific brief.
News Coverage:
Nine News - “‘When's it our turn?': Mum who lost son to deadly infection says NSW is now the outlier on vaccines”. This article highlighted that NSW is now the outlier and should offer free Meningococcal B vaccines for teenagers and infants. By: Emily McPherson | 17 May 2026 - Read the article here.
NewsGP - “Victoria funds meningococcal B vaccines for Year 10s”. This article highlighted how VIC announced that VIC students will receive free Meningococcal B vaccines in 2027 under the National Immunisation Program. By: Michelle Wisbey | 11 May 2026 - Read the article here.
NewsGP - “PBAC weighs up expansion of meningococcal B vaccine”. This article examined the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee’s consideration of expanding access to the Meningococcal B vaccine under the National Immunisation Program, highlighting concerns from health experts that broader coverage was needed to better protect infants and adolescents. By: Jolyon Attwooll | 2 April 2026 - Read the article here.
ABC News - “How boosting vaccinations could prevent meningitis outbreak in Australia”. This article highlighted the risk of Australia experiencing a meningitis outbreak similar to those currently occurring in the UK, and how the introduction of the Meningococcal B vaccine could help prevent this. By: Fergus Gregg | 19 March 2026 - Read the article here.
Where to go to learn more:
(2025) “We’re lagging behind”: GPs urgently call on NSW Government to expand vaccination access | RACGP - This statement highlighted calls for the NSW Government to expand publicly funded meningococcal B vaccination programs for adolescents and young children, citing inequitable access and gaps in protection. Find the statement here.
(2023) Vaccinate to prevent meningococcal | NSW Health - This resource outlined meningococcal vaccination recommendations in NSW, including that the meningococcal B vaccine is currently only available privately for most people, while school programs primarily fund Meningococcal ACWY strain vaccination. Find the page here.
(2026) Meningococcal disease - Australian Immunisation Handbook | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care - This webpage outlined information about meningococcal disease, vaccines and recommendations for vaccination from the Australian Immunisation Handbook. Find the handbook here.
(2025) National Immunisation Program Schedule | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care - This schedule outlined vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program. Find the schedule here.
(2026) NSW School Vaccination Program | NSW Health - This webpage outlined the NSW current statewide school-based vaccination program for adolescents. Find the program here.
(2023) Immunisation Policy Statement | Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) - This policy statement highlighted that improving immunisation coverage requires multiple strategies, including expanded access for adolescents and disadvantaged populations and strengthened government-led vaccination programs. It also articulates the use of school-based delivery can achieve high coverage and equitable uptake across population groups. Find the statement here.
Human Perspective:
Sophie was a single mother from Sydney who never imagined that her healthy teenager could become critically ill overnight. Her son, Liam, had just started Year 10 and spent most weekends playing football, hanging out with friends, and going to parties. When he came home one evening complaining of a headache, neck pain, and feeling exhausted, Sophie assumed he had picked up a virus. By the next morning, Liam was vomiting, struggling to stay awake, and had developed a dark rash across his body. He was rushed to the hospital, but despite doctors’ efforts, he died later that day from meningococcal B disease. In the weeks after Liam’s death, Sophie learned for the first time that there had been a vaccine available to protect against meningococcal B. She was devastated to discover that many families were simply unaware of the vaccine unless they specifically asked their doctor or could afford the additional cost. Sophie now lives with overwhelming guilt, constantly wondering whether Liam would still be alive if she had known the vaccine existed and had been offered through a free, publicly funded program in NSW. She has since become a strong advocate for the introduction of the meningococcal B vaccination, believing that no parent should lose a child because they were never made aware that protection was available.
To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement:
N/A.
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