Many families in the Hikurangi community were on high alert after the death of a local girl of meningococcal W last year.

Many people could not afford to pay to immunise children so Shona Whitehead has set a goal to raise $20,000 by the end of April so children at Hikurangi School who are not eligible for free vaccinations because they are aged 5 to 12 – the age group not currently being funded – can be immunised before winter.

Northland District Health Board (NDHB), aimed at immunising 22,707 children and youths aged between 9 months and 5 years, or 13 and 20 years after 3 deaths from the meningococcal W strain prompting a mass vaccination campaign.

Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti has supported Whitehead’s goal and has offered to get the vaccines at absolute cost – about $90 – and also do the vaccinations himself.

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