MENINGITIS AWARENESS AND NATIONAL IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME

That this House welcomes the Meningitis Research Foundation's Winter Awareness campaign; notes that meningitis is a disease that affects nine people every day, of whom one will die and two more will suffer life-altering after-effects, such as brain damage, deafness and multiple amputations; further notes that babies and children are most at risk and that more young lives can be saved through raising awareness among clinical practitioners and the public of early warning signs; therefore welcomes the fact that in the 18 months since the Universal Infant Pneumococcal Vaccination was introduced there has been a marked fall in the number of invasive pneumococcal infections in children, and in associated deaths and disease, enabling some 470 children to avoid serious illness like meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia; further notes however that between January and March 2008, 74 per cent. of children in England had received the vaccine booster dose as compared to 91 per cent. of children in Scotland; and calls on the Government to set in place measures to improve the uptake in England of both the primary vaccination and booster dose which both need to be given to ensure the fullest protection from pneumococcal disease.