Menb Vaccine And Childhood Immunisation Schedule

EDM number 948 in 2013-14, proposed by Mark Durkan on 14/01/2014.
Categorised under the topics of Children and families, Diseases and Vaccination.

That this House welcomes the public letter signed by over 100 nurses, doctors and scientists, who deal with the consequences of Meningitis, calling for positive decisions on all available meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine for children in the UK; notes their observations that the new MenB vaccine, licensed last year and still undergoing consideration for inclusion in the childhood immunisation schedule (CIS), is estimated to cover 88 per cent. of MenB disease in the UK; recognises that the meningitis vaccinations already in the CIS have been very successful in preventing unnecessary child deaths and long term complications; further recognises that MenB, which remains the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK, mainly effects children, is difficult to diagnose, strikes fast and kills or seriously disables in hours, questions the terms of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consideration of the potential cost-effectiveness of the MenB vaccine to date; urges the JCVI to re-evaluate their interim conclusions to reflect the health burden of MenB disease , after effects of survivors, quality of life for carers and wider costs for the NHS; and encourages the Secretary of State for Health to consider and take all appropriate steps towards introducing the MenB vaccine, including the option of a UK-wide population-based evaluation, as mentioned in the initial JCVI interim position, which would serve to save lives, prevent disability, and inform further appraisals and investment in vaccine development.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.