The Leader of B&NES Council Cllr Paul Crossley has written to Public Health England about speeding up access to a new vaccination to protect children against Meningococcus B.
This follows the case of one year old Harmonie-Rose Allen from Bath who has lost all four limbs due to the disease.
Cllr Crossley has written to Dr Shona Arora, the Public Health England centre director for Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, saying: “The publicity around this case and the considerable local fund-raising efforts that followed, have led to questions from residents about why the vaccination is not yet available when its use has been recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
“We understand the need for Government and NHS to secure value for money when considering which drugs and interventions to make available and we know that this has been a consideration in regard to the use of this particular vaccine.
“We also realise that it takes a little time to launch a new vaccination programme.
“However, time is passing with no clear date for introduction, and seeing at first hand the devastating impairment that can occur; we regard it as important that this vaccine is made available at the earliest opportunity to protect babies against a significant cause of disability and death.
“We therefore urge you to do what you can to expedite this matter.”
