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| Meningitis B vaccine calls rejected despite petition | Meningitis B vaccine calls rejected despite petition |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Offering the meningitis B vaccine to all children is "not cost effective" and would be a waste of NHS money, the UK government says. | |
| Public support for extending the vaccine grew after the mother of two-year-old Faye Burdett shared pictures of her dying from the infection. | Public support for extending the vaccine grew after the mother of two-year-old Faye Burdett shared pictures of her dying from the infection. |
| The jab is offered to children in their first year of life. | The jab is offered to children in their first year of life. |
| But more than 800,000 people signed a petition for it to be given to all children under 11. | But more than 800,000 people signed a petition for it to be given to all children under 11. |
| Faye, from Maidstone, died on Valentine's Day after fighting the infection for 11 days. Her mother Jenny said the family had endured "a pain you cannot describe". | Faye, from Maidstone, died on Valentine's Day after fighting the infection for 11 days. Her mother Jenny said the family had endured "a pain you cannot describe". |
| And soon after ex-England rugby captain Matt Dawson talked about how his two-year-old son Sam survived meningitis W after "two weeks of hell". | And soon after ex-England rugby captain Matt Dawson talked about how his two-year-old son Sam survived meningitis W after "two weeks of hell". |
| In response to the most popular petition in parliamentary history, the Department of Health said it was following the expert advice of its Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). | In response to the most popular petition in parliamentary history, the Department of Health said it was following the expert advice of its Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). |
| It said: "With this programme, our priority is to protect those children most at risk of Men B, in line with JCVI's recommendation. | It said: "With this programme, our priority is to protect those children most at risk of Men B, in line with JCVI's recommendation. |
| "The NHS budget is a finite resource, it is therefore essential that JCVI's recommendations are underpinned by evidence of cost-effectiveness. | "The NHS budget is a finite resource, it is therefore essential that JCVI's recommendations are underpinned by evidence of cost-effectiveness. |
| "Offering the vaccine outside of JCVI's advice would not be cost effective, and would not therefore represent a good use of NHS resources which should be used to benefit the health and care of the most people possible." | "Offering the vaccine outside of JCVI's advice would not be cost effective, and would not therefore represent a good use of NHS resources which should be used to benefit the health and care of the most people possible." |
| It added: "When any new immunisation programme is introduced, there has to be a cut-off date to determine eligibility. | It added: "When any new immunisation programme is introduced, there has to be a cut-off date to determine eligibility. |
| "While this is extremely difficult for parents whose children aren't eligible, there is no other way of establishing new programmes to target those at highest risk without introducing inequalities." | "While this is extremely difficult for parents whose children aren't eligible, there is no other way of establishing new programmes to target those at highest risk without introducing inequalities." |
| The UK is the only country in the world to offer the vaccine routinely to children of any age. | The UK is the only country in the world to offer the vaccine routinely to children of any age. |
| It is offered only in the first year of life when infants are most vulnerable to the infection. | It is offered only in the first year of life when infants are most vulnerable to the infection. |
| The issue is still scheduled to be debated in the House of Commons. | The issue is still scheduled to be debated in the House of Commons. |
| Lee Booth, who set up the petition, said: "It's very disappointing that that's the initial sort of reaction to the campaign. | |
| "Y'know there's 817-thousand people that have obviously raised concerns over the lack of the meningitis B vaccine being available, to their children. | |
| "It beggars belief really that the government are putting costs ahead of saving childrens' lives." |