MenB (Bexsero) vaccine is funded from 1 March 2023 and will become part of the National Immunisation Schedule with a primary course administered at the 3-month and 5-month immunisation events followed by a booster dose at the 12-month vaccination event.
Bexsero is approved from 2 months of age, if this option is selected then the second dose can be administered at 4 months and the booster at 12 months. Bexsero is also funded for catch up programmes.
Practices are encouraged to advertise the availability of this funded vaccine catch up programme for children aged 1-5 years and 13-25 years. Please discuss the need for prophylactic paracetamol for children under 2 years pre and post administration of Bexsero vaccine if the opportunity arises at the 6-week immunisation visit.
You may also want to update your Paracetamol standing order to ensure it will accommodate Paracetamol use in this age group and for this indication.
More information on this addition to the schedule and catch up specific information can be found on the IMAC website.
The past two weeks have seen major disruption to vaccine deliveries from Propharma throughout Waikato and Lakes regions. This issue has been escalated to the National Immunisation Programme at Te Whatu Ora. Pharmac and IMAC are also aware. We have been told that the interruption to distribution was caused by a temperature excursion at Propharma Hamilton warehouse on Friday 24 February. The main issue has been rectified and Propharma arranged for all Pharmac funded vaccine orders received by the Hamilton branch to be supplied by either Auckland or Wellington. We are learning of significant delays to deliveries which is compounded by recent weather events and by the lack of temperature-controlled vaccine transport containers that are being returned to wholesalers.
As of Tuesday 7 March we were receiving updates from many practices to say that their orders were arriving. We understand that this has been an incredibly frustrating period for vaccination services, and we hope that once the orders have been updated deliveries will return to normal schedules. Please continue to liaise with Propharma if your order has yet to arrive.
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