Children to receive new vaccine

Children in the UK are to receive a vaccine against a disease, which causes blood poisoning, meningitis, pneumonia, under new plans announced today.

A routine pneumococcal vaccine is being introduced as part of a series of changes to the childhood immunisation programme.

The jab, which will be given in three doses, will be introduced from April.

Around 5,000 children suffer from serious pneumococcal infections in England and Wales each year, with around 530 cases affecting the under-twos and a third developing pneumococcal meningitis. As many as 50 children aged under two are estimated to die from the infections each year.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said that the new vaccine would help save lives and prevent hundreds more cases of serious illness He said: "We have already seen the immense impact this programme has had in the US. Since its introduction, cases in young children caused by the strains in the vaccine have fallen by 94% and cases in the over 65s have dropped by two thirds.

"Immunisation is the best way to protect children from serious disease and the routine childhood programme has been extremely effective in achieving this. The changes set out today will further improve the programme and benefit children."

Both the Meningitis Trust and the Meningitis Research Foundation have welcomed the announcement. Philip Kirby, chief executive of the Meningitis Trust, said: "Vaccination is the only way to prevent meningitis and we welcome this announcement as it will help save lives. Pneumococcal meningitis is a devastating disease - 20% of those who get it will die and a further 25% will suffer severe after-effects."

Denise Vaughan, Meningitis Research Foundation Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted with the news that the government is introducing these vaccines into the childhood immunisation schedule. We know it will save many young lives and we also hope to see benefits in the wider population.

"However, not all forms of meningitis and septicaemia are vaccine preventable, so the public still need to be aware of their symptoms."

Sir Liam also announced changes to the vaccination programme to maximise protection against both Meningitis C and bacterial disease Hib.

The current three doses of the MenC vaccine, which is currently given to children at two, three and four months of age, will now be re-spaced at three and four months of age, with a booster at 12 months. This follows the latest evidence, which showed that the protection of the vaccine waned after one year.

A booster dose of the Hib vaccine will now be given at 12 months. The Hib vaccine, which was introduced in 1992, is currently given to children at two, three and four months of age, but the protection has also been found to wane over time.

(KMcA)