MENINGITIS B: BEAT IT NOW CAMPAIGN

That this House notes that a new vaccine against meningitis B has now been licensed for use in the UK; celebrates this medical breakthrough with the potential to save thousands of lives especially among children aged under five; recognises that the vaccine's optimum impact would be achieved by its inclusion in the Routine Child Immunisation Schedule of the NHS; recalls that the last major vaccine against a form of meningitis, the pneumococcal vaccine, took some five years to get into the schedule; applauds Meningitis UK's campaign Meningitis B: Beat It Now highlighting the important opportunity to prevent the devastating impact of the most common form of meningitis in the UK; salutes the valiant and generous campaigning efforts of families and individuals who have suffered its traumatic effects including the death of a child, limb loss or brain damage; encourages the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to give timely and positive consideration to the new vaccine's inclusion in the schedule; and looks forward to Ministers being able to act decisively on their advice this year.