Quebec boy's death highlights lack of free vaccine

The recent death of a four-year-old Quebec boy is focusing attention on the fact that the province is the only one in Canada not to offer free chickenpox vaccines.

Jeremie Roy died two weeks ago from the same flesh-eating disease that struck former premier Lucien Bouchard a decade ago.

Roy had just had chickenpox, and flesh-eating disease is a rare after-effect.

An Ontario study found chickenpox is one of the single most important risk factors for invasive group A streptococcal infections in children – the bacteria that cause flesh-eating disease.

The chickenpox vaccine, which is 85 per cent effective in preventing the common childhood illness, substantially lowers the possibility of flesh-eating disease.

Montreal's director of infectious diseases, Dr. John Carsley, says Quebec is committed to making the chickenpox vaccine free and hopes that will happen by the end of the year.

But that's not soon enough for Quebec grandmother Jennifer Moore.

"I think that's way too long," said Moore. "I think that program should kick in immediately within the next 24 hours."

Carsley, says that in the meantime, he hopes tragic deaths like Roy's will encourage parents to pay for the $85 vaccine.

Despite her dissatisfaction with the pace of the vaccine's introduction, Moore is heeding Carsley's advice and says she will have her granddaughter Kaya vaccinated.

"There's children being affected with the flesh-eating disease and I'm having her inoculated in the next few days. The cost is $85. No problem," said Moore.