The campaign, led so bravely by Neil and Jennifer Burdett, has changed Government policy. Jane Ellison, the public health minister announced a new public awareness campaign to help parents spot the signs of meningitis and septicaemia, which will be launched later this year. Most people know to look out for a rash, but actually, by then it may be too late. There’s a list of other symptoms – including cold hands and feet when a child has a fever – that everyone needs to be aware of. As well as reaching parents, I think it’s vital this campaign reaches health professionals, teachers, nursery staff… everyone involved in looking after children. One thing that’s clear is that there’s not a moment to lose if a child has Meningitis B – quick diagnosis and treatment can be the difference between life and death.
I welcomed the chance to pay tribute to Neil and Jennifer Burdett in Parliament during the debate. They have shown incredible courage since the death of their daughter Faye in February. Thanks to their determination to make something positive come from their loss, the petition to vaccinate more children against meningitis B received the biggest response in parliamentary history.
As a result a heartfelt debate was held in Westminster, in which MPs from all parties spoke about how they and their constituents have been affected by this horrible disease. You can watch a video of my speech here.
As well as pushing for the campaign to increase public awareness, I called on the Government to look again at its decision to only vaccinate newborn babies, and the way it calculates the cost-effectiveness of vaccinations which underpinned that decision. We’re the first country in the world to vaccinate routinely against Meningitis B, but many parents are desperate for small children to be vaccinated, not just babies. The Government can only do that if it gets guidance from a committee of experts that it’s ‘cost effective’. Right now the way that calculation is done us being reviewed; I urged that review to ensure it takes into account the long-term health benefits of preventing meningitis B and the long-term costs of caring for children who survive it.
I also spoke about the differences in treatment that families seem to have experienced when they go to hospital with a sick child. We know Meningitis B is difficult to diagnose, but the stories we heard of several children being sent home from hospital once or even twice before meningitis was diagnosed were heartrending. Some parents felt their concerns had been dismissed by doctors, when they knew their child was really sick. Above all parents must trust their instincts if their child seems unusually unwell – and doctors must listen to them.
The Minister also announced that further research into vaccinating teenagers against meningitis B is underway and I look forward to seeing the results next year. However she did point out that vaccination is not a “silver bullet”. No vaccine is 100% effective and even if all children were immunised, there would still be cases of meningitis B.
This awareness campaign will help, but I’m concerned that the NICE guidelines, which outline how to treat suspected cases of meningitis B, are confusing and out-of-date. I will be writing to the Secretary of State pressing him for much clearer advice and to make sure that it is followed consistently across the NHS.
I know many people will be disappointed that the Government didn’t go as far as extending the vaccination programme to older children, but this was always unlikely as it is bound by the recommendation of independent experts. Nonetheless this debate has made a real difference, and has done much to raise the profile of meningitis B. As a result, lives will have been saved.
