How do I get my child vaccinated against meningitis B?
As a petition to make the Meningitis B vaccine available to all children reaches hundreds of thousands of signatures, here's what you need to know about the disease, the jab and its availability.
What is meningitis B?
Meningococcal infections can be extremely serious and cause meningitis and blood-poisoning (septicaemia). This can lead to severe brain damage, amputations and even death.
Make no mistake: meningitis B can be deadly.
In the past 20 years, between 500 and 1,700 people every year, mainly babies and young children, have suffered from Men B disease, with around 1 in 10 dying from the infection.
Meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal group B bacteria can affect people of any age, but is most common in babies and young children.
Can my child get the vaccine?
Since 1 September 2015, the NHS has offered a men B vaccine to babies as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme.
The vaccine is available across the UK, and will be offered to babies born on or after 1 July 2015.
The men B vaccine is recommended for babies aged 2 months followed by a second dose at 4 months then a booster at 12 months.
How do I get my child vaccinated?
Your doctor's surgery or clinic will automatically send you an appointment for you to bring your baby for their men B vaccination alongside their other routine vaccinations.
What happens if my child was born before 1 July 2015?
There is a limited catch up programme for babies born between 1 May and 30 June 2015.
If your child was born before 1 May, s/he will not be offered the vaccination.
However, babies and infants who are very susceptible to infection may be offered the jab. Check with your GP.
There is a petition to make the vaccine available to all children up to age 11.
The vaccine is also available through private clinics, but stocks held outside the NHS are low - leading to reports some have been unable to start new courses.
From a private clinic, the vaccine can cost between £90-135 a shot.
Does the vaccine offer total protection against meningitis?
There are many different men B strains, but some tests predict that the Men B vaccine protects against 90% of the strains circulating in the United Kingdom.
However, the full extent of its protection will not be known until it is in regular use.
Is the vaccine safe?
The men B vaccine (Bexsero) was licensed by the European Medial Association in January 2013 and all vaccines are extensively tested for safety and effectiveness before being licensed.
The vaccine cannot cause meningitis.
Are there any side-effects?
Some children may experience tenderness and swelling at the injection site, may run a fever and irritability.
Taking paracetamol or similar painkillers at the time of vaccination or shortly afterwards may help reduce the risk of such reactions - your doctor can advise you about this.
There may be other side-effects. Talk to your GP or district nurse if you are worried.
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
Symptoms of meningitis usually begin suddenly and get worse rapidly. They include:
High fever with cold hands and feet
Vomiting and refusal to feed
Being agitated and not wanting to be picked up
Becoming drowsy, floppy and unresponsive
Grunting or breathing rapidly
An unusual high-pitched or moaning cry
A tense, bulging soft spot on their head
A stiff neck and dislike of bright lights
Convulsions or seizures
A red rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it is another sign, although not everybody develops this
In older children, adults and teenagers, the symptoms can also include confusion and irritability and severe muscle pain
Most people with viral meningitis have flu-like symptoms, and in more severe cases may experience neck stiffness, muscle or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and sensitivity to light
Sources: Meningitis Now and NHS Choices