By Siobhan Robbins, West of England Correspondent
Children are dying needlessly because of a delay in rolling out the meningitis B vaccine in the UK, a campaign group has claimed.
The vaccination was given its EU licence two years ago in 2013, but Meningitis Now says the delay in offering the immunisation to every baby on the NHS is putting lives at risk.
Figures obtained by the campaign group suggest 24 UK children under the age of one could have died from the disease since the vaccine was approved in 2013. Since that time there have been 1,130 cases of the infection.
Meningitis Now founder Steve Dayman said: "Too many of our children are needlessly dying or left disabled due to lethargic bureaucracy."
Caroline Williams, from South East Wales, lost her one-year-old son Caden to meningitis B. He died a year after the immunisation had received EU approval.
Ms Williams told Sky News the Government was risking other children's lives by not adding the jab to the NHS baby immunisation programme.
She said: "The amount of children that could be saved with this vaccine is unbelievable. I know meningitis doesn't just affect babies but it could be saving children's lives and they're still negotiating over price, they're putting a price on children's lives."
The meningitis B vaccine is available on the NHS for groups at increased risk of invasive meningococcal infection, such as children without a spleen, and can be bought privately.
The Department of Health told Sky News the number of cases of the disease has dropped over the last decade.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We are very clear that we want to see this vaccine introduced as soon as possible to help protect children from this devastating disease.
"The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that a MenB vaccine be introduced, but only at a cost-effective price - below the price published by Novartis.
"We need to make sure NHS funds are used effectively and negotiations are continuing."
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