She criticised the Government for not doing enough research into developing a vaccine for the B strain of the disease, which accounts for most cases.

And she said there should be routine blood testing for every child with a high temperature and treatment with antibiotics if an infection proved bacterial.

The vaccination program proposed by the Government will only target the C strain, which Ms Sanig said caused 18 per cent of cases.

Her son Stephen died after he was sent home from a NSW central coast hospital with an initial diagnosis of gastro-enteritis.

"The Australian government is not putting any money into research and is not doing anything about it and their reaction to the C strain vaccination is a knee-jerk reaction," she said.

"Let's have the hospitals do a blood test straight up if a child presents with a fever that doesn't respond straight away.

"If we have a bacteria we can give it broadband antibiotics, slow it down so septicaemia doesn't develop.

"It gives us time to find out whether it is (meningococcal).

"Let's look to the worst case scenario and work back."

Mrs Sanig said the Norwegian government had developed a vaccine for their particular B strain and now had it under control. New Zealand was also making inroads in the battle against B, she said.

"We are not doing any medical research into it whatsoever here.

"I thoroughly agree with (today's initiative) and it's wonderful, but it's not enough."

One million Australians will be vaccinated against meningococcal disease C strain next year under a $41 million national plan targeting babies and teenagers, health minister Kay Patterson has said.

Ms Sanig, a director of the Meningococcal Association of Australia, is heading a central coast meningococcal education program.

A pamphlet with a photograph of Stephen and information about the disease will be launched in Tumbi Umbi this Friday.