CAMPAIGNERS have called on Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to cut bureaucracy and introduce a meningitis vaccine before more children die.

Supporters from charity Meningitis Now descended on Westminster yesterday, Tuesday to meet MPs and call on the government to stop the delay and bring in the new Meningitis B vaccine.

Almost 2,000 people backed the campaign on social media to send a message to the Health Secretary to speed up price negotiations, which have been happening since the summer without conclusion.

And it is believed the social campaign is expected to reach almost one million people.

The event was hosted by Shadow Public Health Minister Luciana Berger and attended by MPs across the political spectrum, including Stroud MP Neil Carmichael.

Speaking at the event in the House of Commons, Meningitis Now chief executive Sue Davie said: “We’ve called MPs from all parties together to ask for their support in getting this vaccine brought in quickly.

“The Government agreed back in March that the vaccine would be introduced but eight months on there’s still no sign of it.

“Every day I have to face parents whose children have died or been left disabled because of Meningitis B, knowing that all the time there is a vaccine available to prevent it.

“The time is now to bring in the vaccine and protect our babies, before more die.”

The charity started campaigning for the jab to be given free on the NHS when the vaccine was first licensed in January 2013. Since then more than 150 MPs have backed it.

The vaccine was made available privately 11 months ago, but at as much as £175 a dose, and with three doses required, it is out of the reach of the majority of families.

In March this year, the Government said the vaccine would be given free to babies and youngsters on the NHS once a price had been agreed with manufacturer Novartis.

Negotiations with vaccine developer Novartis only began five months later, in August, and show no signs of concluding.

Meningitis Now founder Steve Dayman MBE, who launched the UK’s meningitis movement after losing his baby son Spencer to the disease in 1982, believes ‘enough is enough’.

Steve, who won a Pride of Britain award for his 32-year crusade, last month, said: “Negotiations have gone on far too long –cut the red tape and make it happen now, so no more lives are needlessly lost.

“It’s ridiculous that negotiations are still going on two-thirds of a year after news the vaccine will be on the NHS.”

The charity’s most recent figures indicate there have been at least 1,000 UK cases of meningococcal group B disease (Men B) since the vaccine received its licence in January 2013.

Of these, as many as 400 people will have died or suffered disabilities, such as brain damage, limb loss, epilepsy, deafness and blindness.

For more information visit www.MeningitisNow.org