Meningitis B vaccine rejected

A vaccine that protects against a potentially deadly form of meningitis should not be offered to children in the UK, immunisation experts have said.

The independent panel, which advises the Government on which vaccines should be offered in the UK, released a draft statement saying that the treatment against meningitis B should not be rolled out.

Meningitis B, which is most common in children under five years old, and in particular in babies under the age of one, is a highly aggressive strain of bacterial meningitis. It can cause severe brain damage, septicaemia or even death.