The WA Government is responding to an outbreak of W-strain meningococcal by offering free vaccination to teenagers.

WA teenagers will be able to access free vaccinations from GPs across the state next month.

The State Government will supply the vaccine to GPs for free, but some doctors are expected to add charges to cover ‘gap costs’.

WA Health's Communicable Diseases Control coordinator Paul Effler urged doctors not to charge extra fees.

Dr Effler said teenagers should try to get vaccinated at school to avoid additional costs.

Three children have been diagnosed with W-strain meningococcal disease in Western Australia in the last week.

Dr Effler said there have been 11 cases of the often-deadly disease this year.

“Last year we saw 14, but that was for the whole year,” he said.

Australian Medical Association WA vice president Mark Duncan-Smith said vaccination is the best option to prevent the disease.

“In 2000, there were 86 cases of meningococcal disease which is primarily the C-strain,” Dr Duncan-Smith said.

“Through immunisation, that reduced down to just 16 cases in 2013.”

Dr Duncan-Smith said the W-strain vaccination program could see the same results.

“Hopefully we will see reduced incidents but there is going to be a lag until we get enough people vaccinated,” he said.

“The W strain does appear to cause more severe disease so it is leading to increased incidents.”