A coroner has recommended Victorians aged 15 to 19 should receive a free vaccine against four strains of meningococcal disease following the tragic death of Ballarat teenager Emma-Kate McGrath.
Melbourne-based coroner Peter White has handed down a seven-page document containing findings into the death of Ms McGrath, 19, who died suddenly from meningococcal strain W at Ballarat Base Hospital on May 3.
“Emma McGrath’s untimely death is a tragic loss for her family, friends and the Victorian community,” Mr White said.
“It highlights the rapidity with which even otherwise healthy young people can succumb to the uncommon but potentially fatal meningococcal disease.”
In his findings, Mr White recommended the Department of Health and Human Services consider re-introducing a free meningococcal vaccination program for strains A, C, W and Y through schools, local councils and GPs.
The combination vaccine was available from April to December last year following a spike in the infectious disease, which can develop quickly and is spread by close physical contact.
Ms McGrath did not receive the ACWY vaccine last year as it was only rolled out in Ballarat schools after her death, a spokeswoman for her family said.
However, Ms McGrath had been immunised against C strain as an infant.
Her family said on Wednesday it was essential the free ACWY vaccination program for 15 to 19-year-olds be continued in 2018.
“We hope that the future sees the vaccine become a routine part of the national immunisation schedule,” the family said in a statement.
“Although nothing will ever ease the pain of losing Emma, knowing that her case is making a difference and saving lives by promoting change in the fight to prevent this horrible disease brings some comfort.
“More than anything, we know that Emma would want to save lives.”
It’s understood the Victorian government is looking into the coroner’s recommendations and will make an announcement in coming weeks.
Mr White also recommended that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners tell its members of the need to ensure patients aged 15 to 19 receive the ACWY vaccine if clinically appropriate.
Doctor Cameron Loy, chairman of the RACGP Victoria, supported this move, saying “vaccines work”.
In 2017, almost 6000 ACWY vaccines were distributed in Ballarat. This reached more than 80 per cent of those aged 15 to 19 in the city.
Coroner returns findings on Emma-Kate McGrath’s tragic death
It was a day like any other before Ms McGrath was suddenly struck down by meningococcal disease last year.
The 19-year-old attended a boot camp fitness class with her mother, Abby, early on the morning of May 2 before heading to her nursing and paramedicine tutorials at Australian Catholic University in Mair Street.
When she returned home in the evening she became severely sick and vomited through the night.
Concerned, Mrs McGrath stayed with her daughter in bed and offered to take her to hospital, but Ms McGrath declined, attributing her symptoms to a bug.
The next morning, Ms McGrath was in too much pain to walk down a flight of stairs and Mrs McGrath called an ambulance.
They arrived at Ballarat Base Hospital about 11.20am as a team of doctors assembled around her. She was eventually transferred to the intensive care unit with liver failure before being placed in a coma.
“Clinicians met with Ms McGrath’s family to explain her very grave condition and the likelihood that she would not recover,” coroner Peter White said.
Statement from Emma-Kate McGrath’s family following the release of the coroner’s report
This week, a Victorian coroner published the medical findings following Emma-Kate's case of meningococcal.
There were no surprises in the findings and, as we already knew, Emma had contracted a fatal case of meningococcal septicaemia.
It was also made clear that the doctors and nurses taking care of Emma did all they could to save her, which we also already knew and will be forever thankful for.
Most importantly, the coroner made two major recommendations as a direct result of Emma-Kate's case which have been directed to the relevant authorities and we are extremely pleased to see these recommendations and hope that they are acted upon by the Victorian and federal government.
The recommendation that the program for free ACWY vaccinations for 15 to 19-year-olds be continued in 2018 is essential and we would also like to see this offered for free to anyone not currently vaccinated in all age brackets.
Particularly at risk are the 15 to 19-year-old age bracket and the one to five-year-old age bracket who are the two most susceptible groups currently.
We hope that the future sees the vaccine became a routine part of the national immunisation schedule and see meningococcal disease totally eradicated as has occurred with diseases such as polio in the past as a result of the NIS.
We were thrilled to see that the Western Australian government has taken a major lead in this space after announcing on Tuesday that they would be making the meningococcal ACWY vaccine accessible at no cost to WA children from 12 months of age.
This comes following a rapid increase in instances of the disease, not just in WA, but across Australia and on the back of a lot of work to influence change from the Robbie's Roar campaign and Meningitis Centre Australia.
We hope that together with other organisations, in particular Meningococcal Australia, 4EK can make the same progress in Victoria and Australia wide.
Although nothing will ever ease the pain of losing Emma, knowing that her case is making a difference and saving lives by promoting change in the fight to prevent this horrible disease brings some comfort.
More than anything, we know that Emma would want to fight and fight to save lives and preserve the health of others in her memory.
She would never want to see another family suffer through the loss of someone to this disease.
Emma was dedicated to helping others and her kindness, compassion and care for everyone else are amongs the beautiful qualities that she is remembered for by all that knew her every day.
We urge everyone to seek information from the 4EK Facebook page, Meningococcal Australia and their GP and to be vaccinated against both the ACWY strains and the B strain of meningococcal.
Currently these vaccinations are both available to anyone via prescription through their GP.
We hope that in the very near future both of these vaccines will form part of our national immunisation schedule and will be free to all Australians and that meningococcal becomes a horrible disease in our history.
