A vaccine which protects against a potentially deadly form of meningitis should not be offered to children in the UK, immunisation experts have said.
The independent panel, which advises the Government on which vaccines should be offered in the UK, released a draft statement saying that the treatment against meningitis B should not be rolled out.
Meningitis charities have expressed their “disappointment” at the decision, saying the vaccine could protect against 73% of cases of meningitis B strains in the UK.
The Bexsero vaccine was licensed by the European Medicines Agency at the start of the year.
As a result, ministers asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to assess the evidence and advise on whether or not the vaccine should be introduced in the UK as part of the immunisation programme.
But, in a draft statement, the JCVI have said that there is “insufficient” evidence available to support the introduction of the immunisation.
They also said that the efficacy of Bexsero “has not been established” and it is “high unlikely” to be cost-effective.
However, manufacturer Novartis said that it was not asked for pricing information as part of the JCVI deliberation.
Meningitis B, which is most common in children under five years old, and in particular in babies under the age of one, is a highly aggressive strain of bacterial meningitis.
It infects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage, septicaemia or even death.
Meningitis UK estimates that there are 1,870 cases of meningitis B each year in the UK. It says that one in 10 people affected will die and one in every three will be left with debilitating after-effects such as loss of limbs or brain damage.