Advertisement

Fears Raised Over Meningitis Vaccine Delay

The Government has been accused by a charity of dragging its heels over a new meningitis vaccine that could "save lives now".

The Department of Health was told by its immunisation advisory body it should make the new meningitis B vaccination available to children a year ago.

However, the department has been wrangling with the drugs company over the price of the Bexsero MenB vaccine since August.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Watson, said he hoped a "cost effective price" could be reached quickly but warned that NHS funds must be used "as effectively as possible".

Last week health official announced a plan to launch an immunisation programme to protect teenagers against the meningitis W after a sharp increase in cases.

The charity Meningitis Now welcomed the announcement but said it was "deeply concerned" about the delay with the meningitis B vaccine, which would also offer children protection against meningitis W.

There are an average of 3,223 cases of meningitis in the UK every year, one in ten of those results in death. Of the total 1,761 cases are meningitis B.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said that the new vaccine should be made available to children at two, four and 12 months.

Sue Davie, of charity Meningitis Now, said: "We also note the JCVI's recognition that the Men B vaccine is likely to provide direct protection to infants against the Men W strain, but remain deeply concerned that the introduction of the Men B vaccine continues to be held up in negotiations, some eight months after they began.

"Surely now we will see the negotiations between the Government and vaccine producer being concluded and the Men B vaccine introduced to save lives now and protect babies not only against MenB but MenW as well."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the manufacturers had not been offering a "fair price" but said they had made a lower offer and he hoped there would be a deal in the near future.

He said an independent body advised the Government on how much to pay for vaccines to ensure taxpayers' money was correctly spent.

Mr Hunt told Sky News: "No healthcare system in the world can buy every single new drug or new vaccine that comes out."

Dr Ian Maconichie, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told the BBC: "One year on, we appeal that a decision is made imminently, so should the vaccine be introduced, it can begin to save children's lives and spare some from severe preventable disability as soon as possible."