I completely agree with the points made in Devi Sridhar’s article on meningitis (Meningitis is back – and here is why, 17 March). She says that the NHS routine vaccination schedule covers children born after 2015. In fact, it was extended to babies born from May 2015 in a catchup programme. I remember this clearly as my eldest son was born in December 2014. I recall the frustration that I felt on my maternity leave in 2015 when he was not eligible for a MenB vaccine on the NHS like his younger peers.
This means that many current Year 6 students are not vaccinated depending on the month in which they were born. My husband and I took the decision to vaccinate our son privately at significant, but completely worthwhile, cost in 2015.
I was also dismayed at the time that there was little information available to parents. The NHS did not give any information to those who were not eligible for a vaccination, so many parents were likely not aware. Those who decided to go private had to find providers themselves as the NHS cannot recommend any non-NHS institutions.
While I consider ourselves very fortunate, I feel that my son, like other children and young people, should have been vaccinated on the NHS. I sympathise greatly with those who have not been.
Aimée Hamblin
Longstanton, Cambridgeshire
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