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http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Govt-may-vaccinate-children-against-bug/2006/11/09/1162661823...

Govt may vaccinate children against bug
Email Print Normal font Large font November 9, 2006 - 6:29PM

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AdvertisementAll Australian children will be vaccinated against the potentially deadly rotavirus under a plan being considered by the federal government.

The government's drug advisory committee has recommended two vaccines - RotaTeq and Rotarix - be funded as a universal mass vaccination for infants against the common gastro disease.

If approved, all children would be vaccinated in either two or three doses before they are six-months-old.

A health department spokesperson confirmed the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) had recommended both vaccines to be included on the Australian National Immunisations Program Schedule in 2007 at a meeting early this month.

This will allow state-based providers to roll-out the program before the next winter seasonal peak for rotavirus, a disease that hospitalises 10,000 Australian children each year.

The move has been applauded by Professor Graeme Barnes, a specialist at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

"This is just fantastic, brilliant news, of course on the assumption that the government will act on the recommendation," Prof Barnes said.

"I'm pretty hopeful of that though - and if it does it's going to help so many kids, so that's just great."