I was delighted to read that, after a very long dispute over the finances, the Meningitis B vaccine will be made available in September. NHS figures show that 1,200 people each year contract the condition with as many as 10% of cases being fatal. This vaccination is very welcome.
The vaccination is the first publicly funded vaccination programme to protect against this group of meningitis strains and all newborns will be eligible from September. It will be administered at 2, 4 and 12 months and is thought to protect against 73% of cases of the strain.
What about slightly older babies?
One thing I haven’t been able to find out from my own research is what happens to slightly older babies. By September, my son will be almost 7 months. Does he become eligible? Or do we miss out?
It’s not clear as yet, but fingers crossed for some more information soon!
