RELATED C-HEALTH LINKS:
· Meningitis
· Immunization
The Canadian Press
QUEBEC (CP) -- It would cost at least $100
million for give vaccinations against meningitis to every Quebecer aged
between two months and 20 years, an official said Tuesday.
The vaccine would cost at least $60 a dose under a provincewide
program, said Dr. Philippe de Wals, head of a Quebec government
advisory committee on immunization.
He said between 1.6 million and two million children and youths would
be involved if the province chose to launch the plan.
A provincial Health Department official said no final decision on a
mass vaccination would be made before the end of August.
The entire question isn't an easy one, admitted de Wals, a researcher
who has studied meningitis
for the last 30 years.
"It's important to quantify everything and give all the pertinent
information so an enlightened decision can be taken," he said.
Vaccinating 1.6 million Quebecers, at $60 a dose, would cost at least
$96 million, plus $4 million or more for administration.
Across Quebec, there have been about 40 cases of meningitis reported
this year. Ten of the cases resulted in death.
The hardest-hit region was the Quebec City area, where a mass
vaccination was held in the spring for 32,000 young people.
A 17-year-old Montreal-area student died last week of meningitis, only
days after attending his high school graduation and dance.
Ideally, a massive vaccination campaign should start in the fall
"because meningitis tends to turn up in the winter", said de
Wals.
He said that autumn is also the time when schools run large-scale
vaccination programs to combat influenza and hepatitis B.
He said meningitis is a preventable disease but the immunization
program would put a further strain on people who work in Quebec's
already overburdened health-care system.
"The decision should be taken objectively but it's not so
easy."
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