The deadly disease that stole baby Mabel from her doting parents Carly and John Goya has reared its ugly head again in Australia.
Mabel died in March 2021 at just six months old after contracting pneumococcal meningitis, a bacterial infection which attacks the brain, lungs and heart.
Rates of the disease have reached a 20-year high and a new-generation jab could help protect vulnerable Australians – but a rollout has been delayed due to “bureaucratic red tape”.
“It very rapidly attacked her brain, by the time someone realised it was a lot more serious than gastro, it was essentially too late,” mum Carly told 9News.
Carly and John now have eight-month-old triplets Edie, Owen and Augie.
The parents are often crippled by worry that the same thing could happen to them.
More than 4500 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease have been recorded across the country since the beginning of 2023, according to the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA).
This is the highest rate of infection recorded in Australia since 2002.
The IFA warns next year could see a fresh spike in deadly cases if vaccinations don’t keep up with the outbreak.
It is urging the federal government to prioritise a rollout of new, broader-coverage pneumococcal vaccines which are TGA-approved.
Mabel’s parents say their baby girl might have lived if the new vaccine was available three years ago.
“Invasive pneumococcal disease is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of pneumococcal infections in Australia,” said Paediatrician and Infectious Disease Researcher Professor Peter Richmond.
“We’re seeing a drop in vaccine coverage alongside emerging strains of the bacterium, and antibiotic resistance.”
IFA director and founder Catherine Hughes said the new immunisations can better protect against more strains than the current jabs.
She said the rollout is being delayed by “bureaucratic red tape”.
“We simply can’t risk not having the best available pneumococcal protection,” Hughes said.
“Invasive pneumococcal disease can cause permanent disability and even death. We have the tools to make a difference, and now is the time to ensure Australians at greatest risk of infection are protected.”
There are more than 100 strains of streptococcus pneumoniae and the new vaccines can protect against the most common and severe ones, the IFA said.
Vaccination rates in children fell to 92.8 per cent in 2023 and only 20 per cent of Australians aged between 71 and 19 are immunised against the disease.
