Since October 2015, the Bexsero vaccine that protects against meningitis B can be purchased freely in pharmacies. This means that parents who wish can buy it for their children, but the price for each dose is really high and only some autonomous communities have included it in their vaccination schedules.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) has long been asking for this vaccine to be included in the calendar of the entire national territory, or at least for public administrations to finance a part to make it easier for all children to access it.
A tour of the Bexsero vaccine: from hospital use to over-the-counter
On October 1, 2015 the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) authorized the sale in pharmacies of La Bexsero, a vaccine that had arrived in Spain two years before but was only administered within the hospital to people with chronic or immunosuppressed diseases.
Since meningitis B is a life-threatening disease, this free access to the vaccine was an important advance in its prevention, since until that moment Spain was the only country in Europe that had limited use and distribution.
In Babies and moreMeningitis in infants and children: what are the warning symptoms and how to prevent itBut access to the vaccine was not easy at first, and the families that decided to vaccinate their children had to face long waiting lists in the pharmacies, and a poor and intermittent distribution. Luckily, it seems that this issue is already solved and now it is relatively quick and easy to buy the vaccine.
On the other hand, we must highlight the high price of each dose (106.15 euros) that multiplied by the number of doses that the AEP recommends putting in function of the age of the child (and by the number of children if it has more than one), supposes a cost that not all pockets can bear.
Some autonomous communities have begun to finance it
Once you get free access to the vaccine by selling it in pharmacies, pediatricians have continued to insist on the importance of including it in the official calendar, as have other countries such as the United Kingdom or Canada, which have been administering it to all the children of their population for some time.
At the moment, the Bexsero is not part of the official calendar of vaccines throughout the national territory, but in recent months we have witnessed important advances in this field, and some autonomous communities have decided to include it.Castilla y León announced that it would finance the vaccine from last March, the Canary Islands will do so predictably before the summer and Andalusia has announced its financing from next year.
In Babies and moreCastilla and León, the first community that incorporates the vaccine against meningococci A, C, W and Y to the children's calendar But still not enough, because the only solution for the vaccine to reach all children without distinction, is to include it for free in the official calendar of vaccines throughout Spain. Otherwise, another solution proposed by the AEP would be the copayment; that is, that families finance part of the vaccine and the other do public administrations, as with some medications.
And, as Armando told us in this post, it is surprising that la Bexsero is not part of the calendar, if we take into account that the meningococcus B - the cause of this disease - is responsible for 65% of the cases of meningitis registered in Spain.
Reasons for non-financing
Thus, if meningitis and sepsis due to serogroup B is a serious and life-threatening disease, and the AEP does not get tired of asking for it to be included for free in the official calendar, we ask ourselves: why, despite everything , la Bexsero is still not funded throughout the national territory?
In Babies and more Arrives at Trumenba pharmacies, a new vaccine against meningococcus BAccording to a statement published by the Ministry of Health, the reasons would be the following (we quote verbatim):
"Taking into account the current epidemiological situation, The inclusion of the vaccine against meningococcus B in the systematic vaccination schedule is not considered justified. at this time"
"They still exist pending questions for more information that are considered important before deciding to introduce this vaccine into the vaccination schedule, how much the vaccine protects and for how long, or how this vaccination affects the protection produced by other vaccines that are already included in the calendar ".
"As soon as new information on the pending data becomes available, the evaluation will continue for potential inclusion in the childhood vaccination schedule. However, yes vaccination is recommended in situations of special risk of acquiring meningococcal disease. "
We must also take into account the low incidence of the disease Invasive meningococcal in recent years. In the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons, the lowest rates in recent years were recorded, both due to a decrease in cases of serogroup C and B.
In this way vaccine financing would be subject to the decisions of each autonomous community. This highlights, once again, the importance of creating a single vaccination schedule as complete as possible throughout the Spanish territory without inequalities and that protects the health of all children, wherever they live.
In which cases is the vaccine especially recommended?
According to a document prepared jointly by the Ministry of Health, the AEP and the Spanish Association of Vaccination, there are certain population groups at high risk of suffering from the disease, as well as special situations that would make the administration of the vaccine necessary:
People with risk of invasive meningococcal disease (EMI), such as people with certain underlying diseases, laboratory personnel working with potentially dangerous samples, and people who have suffered an episode of EMI.
In case of outbreaks in the same institution, organization or social group, community outbreaks or hyperendemia.
The Bexsero vaccine can be given at any age after two months, and the most frequent side effects include pain and inflammation in the area of puncture, irritability and fever. As "rare" side effects, Kawasaki disease is also contemplated, which we have already talked about for some time.
What is meningitis B and what is its incidence?
Meningitis is a rare but very aggressive disease, which occurs suddenly and can cause death in a few hours. Five to ten percent of patients usually die within the first 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms.
Anyone can get meningitis, but those under five, adolescents, young adults and those over 65 are the highest risk groups.
The AEP figures in seven out of ten menigitis registered in Spain caused by type B meningococcus. Its incidence is 0.8 per 100,000 people.Each year, meningitis B affects, according to the AEP, about 400-600 people of whom 40-60 die, and the rest have a high risk of being with more or less important neurological sequelae. The most effective prevention is vaccination.
