The parents of Faye Burdett, the two-year-old who passed away after an 11-day battle with meningitis, are to give evidence in Parliament today, ahead of a major debate on the availability of the meningitis B (Men B) vaccine.
Jenny and Neil Burdett will be joined by former English rugby player Matt Dawson in the session, as well as Lee Booth; the father behind the petition to make the Men B vaccine available to all children under the age of 11 years, to pledge their support for the campaign.
Despite the fact that the petition gathered over 800,000 signatures from people all over the UK, the campaign was rejected earlier this month by the Government on the grounds that making the vaccine available to all kids under 11 would not be “cost effective”.
While the campaign may have failed at that hurdle, this forecasted high-level debate offers fresh hope for concerned parents hoping to offer their children the best possible protection against the illness. It comes after the Department of Health stated that its priority going forward is to vaccinate those children considered most at risk from meningitis B.
There will be two public evidence sessions in Parliament, and we will keep you updated on the progress of the campaign.
