Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the work of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation concerning the meningitis B vaccine as an NHS treatment; and if he will make a statement.

We have accepted the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that a national routine meningococcal B (MenB) immunisation programme for infants should be introduced to protect against MenB disease, subject to the vaccine being procured at a cost-effective price.

The Department is continuing negotiations with the manufacturer to seek supply of the MenB vaccine, Bexsero^® at a cost-effective price.