Meningitis B: How can I vaccinate my child?

Campaigners are calling for all children to be given meningitis B vaccines

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A family who shared a photo of a toddler before she died of meningitis B have shone a spotlight on the disease, as campaigners call more children to be vaccinated.

Two-year-old Faye Burdett died 11 days after she was rushed to hospital with meningitis.

To raise awareness of the condition which most commonly affects children under five-years-old, Faye’s family have shared a photograph on online of her in hospital.

The image shows the child in bed, covered in an angry red rash connected to tubes and wires.

The photograph has encouraged over 440,000 people to sign a petition calling on all children up to the age of 11 to be vaccinated against meningitis B.

What does the vaccine do?

It protects babies against the meningococcal group B bacteria, which causes over 90 per cent of meningitis cases in young children.

If untreated, the bacteria can cause blood poisoning which can lead to severe brain damage, amputations and, in some cases, death, according to the NHS.

Who can be vaccinated against the disease?

Currently, babies aged two months are able to receive the vaccine for free on the NHS. They are then given a second dose at four-months-old and booster at 12 months.

The vaccine, called Bexsero, is administered to the baby’s thigh with a needle.

The scheme in England is the first in the world where routine vaccines have been offered on a national scale for free.

But parents of older children with the disease must pay privately for the jab.

What do the experts say?

Sue Davie, the CEO of the charity Meningitis Now, said in a statement: “Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected.

“Moving forward, we continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at risk groups to ensure a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis.”

The Meningitis Research Foundation website states that children are at hightest risk at around 5 months of age, hence why the jab is offered a 2 and 4 months. The risk falls substantially after this point.

It advises parents to first ask their GP for the vaccine. The doctor can either administer the jab themselves or pass parents on to a private surgery. This will likely be the cheapest option, according to the charity.

It advises parents to look at more than one clinic as prices vary "considerably".

It can cost over £125 to get a meningitis B vaccine, and more than one shot is needed for a child to be properly protected.

The Independent has contacted the Department of Health for a comment.