Abstract
Acute rheumatic fever is a serious illness that can develop when the immune system reacts abnormally to a Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) throat or skin infection. It can lead to rheumatic heart disease, which damages heart valves and may result in heart failure and early death. For 70 years the only proven way to prevent disease progression has been through painful monthly intramuscular penicillin injections.
A new approach - SubCutaneous Injection of Penicillin (SCIP) - offers patients with acute rheumatic fever longer-lasting protection against breakthrough Strep A infections and disease progression. In an Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) clinical trial, over 400 SCIP doses have been administered, with findings showing that children and young adults overwhelmingly prefer SCIP over the standard intramuscular injections.
As the trial ends, participants will be required to return to their four-weekly injections, raising an important question. If there's a safe, protective and more acceptable alternative, shouldn't children and whānau have the right to choose it?