Up to one-third of South Australia’s children and young adults are missing out on protection from the B strain meningococcal disease, health authorities say.

SA Health’s communicable disease control director Dr Louise Flood says the uptake of a free vaccine program has been disappointing.

So far only about 70% of the required number of doses to protect children up to the age of four and young adults aged 17 to 21 have been distributed since the program started in October last year.

“South Australia is the first state in Australia to offer free vaccination against the potentially deadly meningococcal B disease, and we are urging parents and eligible young adults to talk to their GP or immunisation provider to have their children or themselves vaccinated,” Dr Flood said.