Meningitis B vaccine to be introduced in Scotland

All infants in Scotland are to be offered a meningitis B vaccination on the NHS, the Scottish Government have announced.

Scotland will be one of the few nations in the world to offer the vaccination which will prevent the life-threatening strain of meningitis to all infants.

The vaccine, called Bexsero, will be introduced to the immunisation programme for infants following negotiations on behalf of the Department of Health and the devolved government with manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.

Around 1,200 people, mainly babies and children, get meningitis caused by the meningococcal group B bacteria each year in the UK.

Around one in 10 of those die from the infection.

The vaccination will be given in three doses at two, four and 12 months, with all babies in Scotland aged two months at the point of introduction being eligible. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has also advised that when the programme starts there should be a one-off, catch-up programme for babies aged three and four months of age.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “The Scottish Government has been consistent in its support for the introduction of the meningitis B vaccine, Bexsero.

“We will now work to roll out the vaccination programme as quickly as possible.

“The vaccine will now form part of the routine childhood immunisation programme in Scotland, underlining our commitment to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our children.”