The meningitis It is one of those diseases that parents are horrified just to name. We all know some more or less close case of children who suffered it and have had sequelae, of children who died or children who had it and are well, that there are and that they are the majority.
There are currently two vaccines that can prevent from meningitis: the vaccine of the meningitis C, which is part of the state vaccine schedule and that finances social security and pneumococcal vaccine, better known as Prevent, which is only administered if parents buy it at the pharmacy.
Now he arrives in Spain, and throughout Europe, the vaccine to prevent the spread of meningitis B, produced by meningococcus B, which is the most predominant bacteria and, unlike what they have done in other countries, in Spain they have decided to limit it to hospital use, so that, It is not funded for all children, nor can parents who want to buy it at the pharmacy as they can do with Prevenar, Rotateq and Varivax.
The Scientific Societies, surprised
Given this measure, the Scientific Societies closest to vaccination in Spain: the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), the Spanish Association of Vacunology (AEV) and the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Hygiene (SEMPSPH) have issued a statement in which they show their surprise at the decision taken by the AEMPS (Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products), to limit the vaccine only to hospital use, more taking into account that The recommendations for public use of the vaccine have not yet been explained in our country.
Citing a part of the statement:
This vaccine may be the best preventive measure against meningococcal infection invading serogroup B, a rare but devastating disease, which is accompanied by a uniform lethality of 10% and between 10% and 30% of permanent sequelae. . Without a doubt, it is a crucial advance in the fight against this disease.
And the rest of the countries in Europe?
Apparently, as they explain, Spain is the only country that has decided to make this decision. The rest of the countries in Europe have not declared it for hospital use and therefore have free access to decide if they will finance it or if it will remain as an optional vaccine for those parents who can and want to pay it.
Who knows, maybe in the end they change their minds and in Spain they end up doing the same as the rest of the countries. It can be understood that once the vaccine has arrived they decide not to include it in the vaccination calendar, because if they have had the courage to stop financing Prevenar in the communities where it was part of the calendar (here in Catalonia the parents have always had to pay it) , little can be expected to decide to finance this one, but hence to limit it to hospital use, leaving no choice for parents to choose whether or not to administer it to their children, it goes a long way, especially when the recommendations for public use are not yet known.
