Meningitis vaccine granted EU license
A new vaccine to protect against a form of meningitis today moved a step closer to being made available in the UK, after being granted a licence from the European Commission.
Ne A new vaccine to protect against today moved a step closer to being made available in the UK, after being granted a licence from the European Commission.
The decision paves the way for introducing the vaccine against meningococcal group B disease (MenB) – the most common, and potentially deadly, form of bacterial meningitis – into the Childhood Immunisation Programme in the United Kingdom and has been welcomed by the Meningitis Trust chairty as a “significant milestone in the fight against meningitis.”’
The trust is now urging the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) – the body that advises the secretary of state for health – to make a positive and quick recommendation to introduce the vaccine as early as possible.
Five people every day contract MenB and one person will die every two days.
Sue Davie, chief executive of the trust, said: “With vaccines being the only way to protect against bacterial meningitis, the sooner it’s introduced the better. It’s wonderful news that this new vaccine has now been licensed, but licensing alone will not save lives. That will only happen when the vaccine is introduced into the Childhood Immunisation Programme. And this can’t happen soon enough.”
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Weather for Duns
Friday 24 May 2013
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