This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/19/meningitis-petition-vaccinations-health-policy-sarah-wollaston

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Meningitis petition should not unduly sway health policy, says Tory MP Meningitis petition should not unduly sway health policy, says Tory MP
(about 4 hours later)
A petition of more than 500,000 people calling for all children in the UK to be given a meningitis vaccine should not be allowed to unduly sway public health policy, the chair of the Commons health committee has said. A petition signed by nearly 600,000 people calling for all children in the UK to be given a meningitis vaccine should not be allowed to unduly sway public health policy, the chair of the Commons health committee has said.
Sarah Wollaston, a doctor and senior Tory MP, said there was a case to review the way vaccines for children are assessed but cautioned against letting patient pressure groups have too much say in how resources are spent. Sarah Wollaston, a doctor and senior Tory MP, said there was a case to review the way vaccines for children were assessed but cautioned against letting patient pressure groups have too much say in how resources were spent.
She told the BBC’s Today programme: “This is a terrible disease but we need decisions about vaccinations in my view to be guided by the evidence about who is going to benefit and how cost effective the vaccines are. As we move into an age of ever more expensive vaccinations you have to ask the question: would you save more children’s lives if you spent that money on something else?” She told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday: “This is a terrible disease but we need decisions about vaccinations, in my view, to be guided by the evidence about who is going to benefit and how cost-effective the vaccines are. As we move into an age of ever more expensive vaccinations you have to ask the question: would you save more children’s lives if you spent that money on something else?”
She said it was crucial to consider public opinion but that it should not be the main driver of vaccination policy. “This is a very serious condition but if we’re to run vaccination policy purely on the size of a petition then we would run ourselves into very difficult territory.”She said it was crucial to consider public opinion but that it should not be the main driver of vaccination policy. “This is a very serious condition but if we’re to run vaccination policy purely on the size of a petition then we would run ourselves into very difficult territory.”
Related: Matt Dawson reveals son's fight against meningitis BRelated: Matt Dawson reveals son's fight against meningitis B
Wollaston added that there was a “case to review the formula that is used to weigh up cost effectiveness and I think that is what should now happen”.Wollaston added that there was a “case to review the formula that is used to weigh up cost effectiveness and I think that is what should now happen”.
The petition, one of the biggest ever on the government’s official site, was prompted by the case of Faye Burdett, from Maidstone in Kent, who died on Valentine’s Day after fighting the meningitis B infection for 11 days. Her story, told by her mother Jenny, has been widely shared on social media. The petition, which became the most popular ever on the government’s official site on Friday with more than 580,000 supporters, was prompted by the case of Faye Burdett, from Maidstone in Kent, who died on Valentine’s Day after fighting meningitis B infection for 11 days. Her story, told by her mother, Jenny Burdett, has been widely shared on social media.
A vaccine for meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months. Parents who wish to have older children vaccinated must pay privately, although a worldwide shortage of the Bexsero vaccine means stocks are very low. A vaccine for meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, with a second dose given at four months and a booster at 12 months. Parents who wish to have older children vaccinated must pay privately, although a worldwide shortage of the Bexsero vaccine means stocks are very low.
Its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, hopes to increase UK stocks by the summer. The NHS programme is unaffected by the shortage.Its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, hopes to increase UK stocks by the summer. The NHS programme is unaffected by the shortage.
Burdett published photographs of her daughter, including one of her in a hospital bed just before she died. She said: “This is a photo of Faye, two years old, who sadly lost her life to this dreadful disease. We campaign for change in her memory. Burdett published photographs of her daughter, including one of her in a hospital bed before she died. She said: “This is a photo of Faye, two years old, who sadly lost her life to this dreadful disease. We campaign for change in her memory.
“Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead. She was then transferred … to Evelina Children’s hospital, where her heart stopped in the ambulance. They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her. We were given a 1% survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting.“Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead. She was then transferred … to Evelina Children’s hospital, where her heart stopped in the ambulance. They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her. We were given a 1% survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting.
“After a few days she seemed to have turned a corner, but the sepsis started to affect her more and the decision of limb removal was made. The extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery.“After a few days she seemed to have turned a corner, but the sepsis started to affect her more and the decision of limb removal was made. The extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery.
“She was getting tired, her little body consumed by meningitis and sepsis. We had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord. We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away. At 9pm on 14 February she finally fell asleep forever. All this in only 11 days.”“She was getting tired, her little body consumed by meningitis and sepsis. We had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord. We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away. At 9pm on 14 February she finally fell asleep forever. All this in only 11 days.”
Burdett has called on people to sign the petition asking for the government to ensure the meningitis B vaccine is given to all children, not just newborn babies. “All children are at risk from this terrible infection,” she said. “There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11.”Burdett has called on people to sign the petition asking for the government to ensure the meningitis B vaccine is given to all children, not just newborn babies. “All children are at risk from this terrible infection,” she said. “There needs to be a rollout programme to vaccinate all children, at least up to age 11.”
This week the former rugby player Matt Dawson published pictures on Twitter documenting his son Sami’s recovery from meningitis B. The 43-year-old said Sami was lucky to have pulled through and thanked staff at Great Ormond Street hospital in London who had cared for him.This week the former rugby player Matt Dawson published pictures on Twitter documenting his son Sami’s recovery from meningitis B. The 43-year-old said Sami was lucky to have pulled through and thanked staff at Great Ormond Street hospital in London who had cared for him.
Dawson said he had deliberated over whether to share the pictures, which he warned could be upsetting, before posting a collection of images to his 250,000-strong Twitter following.Dawson said he had deliberated over whether to share the pictures, which he warned could be upsetting, before posting a collection of images to his 250,000-strong Twitter following.