New Meningitis B vaccine may be free on NHS

The Government has announced this week that a vaccine for Meningitis B (MenB), a common but potentially serious bacterial infection, will be introduced on the NHS. If price negotiations are successful the Bexsero vaccine will be free for young babies, the most at risk group.

The news comes almost a year after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) initially rejected the vaccine due to a lack of evidence of cost-effectiveness. The charity Meningitis Now then started a public petition, signed by over 36000 people, calling for Bexsero to be reassessed. Over 200 researchers and scientists added their voices to the debate, further pressuring the JCVI to change their decision.

Steve Dayman MBE, founder of Meningitis Now, said: “This is the most monumental announcement in the fight against the disease in the 31 years I have campaigned to eradicate meningitis.”

Meningitis B affects around 1900 people each year in the UK, one of the world’s highest incidence rates. It kills one in 10 people affected and among the survivors, one in three will suffer permanent after-effects such as brain damage or limb loss.

MenB is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis, carried in the nose or throat of around 10 percent of the population. It attacks the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and can kill in hours. Early symptoms can resemble the common flu. More specific symptoms include drowsiness and confusion, a stiff neck, higher sensitivity to light and rashes that don’t fade under pressure.

Another high-risk group are 15 to 24-year-olds. Earlier this month, a student at Drexel University in America died from the disease. She contracted it after being in contact with students from Princeton, where an outbreak of the disease occurred last year.

Bexsero is the first MenB vaccine in the world and covers up to 88 percent of strains.

The vaccine has been licensed for use in Europe since January 2013 and has been available privately since December, costing up to £600. This decision will make the UK the first country in the world to add the vaccine to its vaccination programme.