Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to roll out meningitis vaccines more widely to the population following the news of the recent outbreak in Kent.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the United Kingdom Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.

On 17 March, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent meningococcal B vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt. Hon. Friend as soon as practicable.