The Welsh Government has announced £7.7m of funding so all babies in Wales will be vaccinated against meningitis B.
The move comes after a UK-wide deal was struck with vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. In 2014, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) – the independent panel of experts, which advises the UK countries on vaccination programmes – recommended every child over two months old should be given the vaccine. But negotiations over the cost of the vaccine delayed the introduction of the programme.
The vaccine will now be added to the national childhood immunisation programme in Wales – babies will receive the first meningitis B vaccine at two months old, followed by two further doses.
Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said:
“These negotiations mean we have now secured a meningitis B vaccine, which will benefit the health of all babies in Wales.
“Now a price has been agreed we will work to make this vaccination available as soon as practicable.
“We have made £7.7m of funding available to make sure this vaccine becomes part of our national childhood immunisation programme for Wales.”
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