Peterborough parents urged to get new-born babies vaccinated for Meningitis B

The plea comes as a petition to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11, has reached nearly 800,000 signatures, prompting a debate in Parliament.

Peterborough City Hospital has registered 41 cases of Meningitis B since 2010, of which two in 2014 led to people dying, although their ages are not specified.

Dr Linda Sheridan, public health consultant at Peterborough City Council, said: “It’s vitally important that those children who are eligible for the MenB vaccination receive all three doses.

“The programme was launched in July 2015 with babies born from May 2015 offered the vaccine at two months, four months and at 12 months.

“In Peterborough, provisional data indicates that the take-up of the MenB vaccination is quite good at around 96 per cent for the first dose, but only 88 per cent so far for the second dose.

“If parents do suspect their child has meningitis they should seek immediate medical advice. More information can be found at www.nhs.uk.”

Boots said it is not currently selling the vaccine.

MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson said the government had been advised using the Meningitis B vaccine in older children was not cost-effective, but that further research was needed to prevent the transition of infection in adolescents.

He added: “I am assured that the government is working with health organisations to address this. I am in any event writing to the Health Minister to raise my constituents’ concerns on this matter and to ensure that the issue is reconsidered urgently.”