All British babies to receive Meningitis B vaccine
Meningitis B affects around 1,200 people every year.
An agreement has been reached between GlaxoSmithKline and the Department of Health which will mean all babies in the UK will soon be vaccinated against Meningitis B.
Starting in September, the vaccination programme is the culmination of more than 20 years of research and represents a significant breakthrough in disease prevention.
When the vaccine is launched, the UK will become the first country in the world to introduce a national Meningitis B vaccination programme.
In a statement, GlaxoSmithKline said: "GSK is delighted to have reached an agreement with the UK’s Department of Health that will enable babies in the UK to receive its meningitis B vaccine through the NHS immunisation schedule.
"We have moved rapidly to conclude negotiations since we acquired the vaccine from Novartis at the beginning of March.
"We believe the agreement we have reached offers fair value for the NHS and allows a reasonable return for GSK to ensure that we can continue to invest in creating new treatments and vaccines.
Meningitis B affects around 1,200 people, mainly babies and children, each year in the UK, with around one in every ten dying from the infection. Many of those who survive suffer terrible permanent disability such as limb loss, brain damage and epilepsy.
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