Worst disease outbreak in 20 years strikes Australia - what you need to know

By STEVE WILLIAMS, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

Australian children under the age of two are at risk of contracting pneumococcal disease as the country battles the worst outbreak in 20 years.

There have been 4,500 cases of pneumococcal disease including meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia since the start of 2023 - marking the highest annual rate since 2002.

Pneumococcal meningitis is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

The Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) warned there could be a deadly jump in cases in 2025 if new vaccines targeting more deadly strains of pneumococcal failed to be fast-tracked by the federal government.

The new vaccines have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and recommended by both the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

However, they remain unfunded through the National Immunisation Program. 

Carly and John Goya lost their six-month-old daughter Mabel to pneumococcal disease in September 2021.

They believe Mabel would still be alive if the vaccine was available three years ago.  

Six-month-old Mabel Goya (pictured) died from pneumococcal disease in September, 2021 (Mabel is pictured with her parents and older sister)

Six-month-old Mabel Goya (pictured) died from pneumococcal disease in September, 2021 (Mabel is pictured with her parents and older sister)

Mabel spent a week in ICU before her parents made the heartbreaking decision to switch off their daughter's life support. The six-month-old is pictured with her mum Carly Goya

Mabel spent a week in ICU before her parents made the heartbreaking decision to switch off their daughter's life support. The six-month-old is pictured with her mum Carly Goya

The Goyas had been enjoying a family day out when Mabel started to show signs of distress in the evening and began vomiting. 

Her parents took the six-month-old to hospital the following morning and she was treated for dehydration and monitored overnight.

Mabel was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis and within a few days had suffered severe brain damage.

The six-month-old spent a week in ICU before her parents made the heartbreaking decision to switch off their daughter's life support.

'We made the decision to take out the breathing tube and take out all other tubes, apart from the morphine to stop any pain,' Ms Goya wrote. 

'The pain and torture of watching our daughter continue to breathe for 15 hours, before she passed away in the morning of the 22nd of September, is utterly indescribable.

'No parent, or child, should have to bear this.'

Ms Goya said the vaccine would provide protection against seven additional strains of the disease, including the one that proved fatal for Mabel. 

Mabel (pictured with her parents and older sister) was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis and within a few days had suffered severe brain damage

Mabel (pictured with her parents and older sister) was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis and within a few days had suffered severe brain damage

Pneumococcal meningitis (pictured) is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes inflammation of the layers that surround the brain and spinal cord

Pneumococcal meningitis (pictured) is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes inflammation of the layers that surround the brain and spinal cord

'It is crucial that new vaccines, specifically the new pneumococcal vaccine, are funded and added to the National Immunisation Plan,' she told the Courier Mail.

'Pneumococcal meningitis leads to incredibly devastating consequences and is very easy for medical professionals to misdiagnose.'

Carly and John are now parents to eight-month-old triplets Edie, Owen and Augie.

They started the Mabel Olive Airi Foundation to honour Mabel's life and raise awareness of pneumococcal meningitis.

Catherine Hughes, the founder and director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, called for the new vaccines to be rolled out through the National Immunisation Program urgently.

'We simply can't risk not having the best available pneumococcal protection,' Ms Hughes said. 

The Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler told Daily Mail Australia, ‘The Albanese Government strongly supports immunisation as a safe and effective public-health measure to reduce the impact of many diseases in the community that can cause hospitalisation, serious ongoing health conditions, or even death.’

‘The prevention and treatment of pneumococcal disease is a priority for the Albanese Government.’

‘The current pneumococcal vaccines available on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) provide strong protection against pneumococcal disease,’ Mr Butler said. 

‘The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is currently finalising a review of the childhood pneumococcal schedule, to enable consideration of what the best vaccines for the population are.’

‘I have asked ATAGI to expedite this advice to government. I am committed to ensuring Australian children have access to the best vaccines possible as determined by the experts at ATAGI.’

Mabel

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