HEALTH authorities will today begin the largest mass vaccination program against the deadly meningococcal disease, immunising up to 2000 people in the central Queensland town of Biloela.
 

One-third of the town's population will be vaccinated over the next four days as health officials attempt to contain a minor breakout of the disease which has already infected four residents.

The mass vaccination of all local adults under the age of 40 comes after tests confirmed the four victims, aged between 19 and 40, contracted the disease from the same organism after July 1.

Two were known to each other and all four have recovered.

Health Minister Wendy Edmond yesterday stressed the immunisation program was a precautionary measure but said the cases were being treated as an outbreak because of Biloela's small population.

Ms Edmond urged the community not to panic and rejected claims Queensland Health had been slow to act on the outbreak, saying tests had only recently confirmed the cases had a connection.

Under national health guidelines, an outbreak occurs if there are more than three cases of meningococcus detected from the same organism within a three-month period, provided it equates to more than 10 cases per 100,000 people.

"We're being over-cautious," Ms Edmond said.

"We don't usually vaccinate people . . . however in this case, we've had a number of infections which seem to be linked over a period of time so we think it is appropriate."

A team of Queensland Health officials arrived in the town yesterday and will offer free vaccinations at a clinic within the civic centre from 9am today.

People aged between 18 and 40 who have lived or worked within a 15km radius of Biloela since July 1 will be offered the vaccine.

It will immunise them against four strains of the disease including type C, which was the main cause of the outbreak in Biloela and has been previously linked to fatalities.

The most common strain of meningococcus in Queensland is type B.

Queensland Health spokeswoman Dr Linda Selvey, who is in Biloela, yesterday downplayed the risks of contracting the deadly disease.

Dr Selvey said up to one in 10 people carried the bacteria in their nose and throat but rarely developed the disease.

"The disease is not easily spread and close and prolonged contact with the carrier of the infection is required before the germ can spread," she said.

"Past experience has shown that apart from the immediate family, the risk of other cases occurring is low."

Early signs of infection can include headache, fever, vomiting, a rash with red and purple spots, drowsiness or a stiff neck.

Authorities vaccinated up to 1800 people at Nudgee College in Brisbane last year after the deaths of two students.

The Courier-Mail