meningitis b vaccine

[cedricsneer]

My dh and I are arguing about whether or not to pay for the dc to get this. It's a couple of hundred £ each which is a stretch, but I am very keen.

Has anyone done it? My dh doesn't think they need it and that I am scare mongering . Thank you.

I know a few mn seem to have had this done. I am a practice nurse that gives it, it's a horrible disease. The peak for men B in children is around 4-5 months, that is why the vaccine has been introduced with the primary imms. Not to say it doesn't strike older children of course, but less likely.
Bear in mind ( as happened in some cases with the separate MMR vaccines), if there becomes a supply problem in the future with the vaccine there is no guarantee you would be able to finish the course, and the vaccine doesn't protect against all strains of men B either. I'm not having my DC vaccinated (older though).
A very personal choice.

Thank you CP. my children are 4,7 and 9. A doctor friend has advised waiting until early teens to protect at the other peak age - what do you think about that? Many thanks!

The other meningitis strains that peak in the teens are ACWY, and a programme has been introduced recently to immunise 14/15 year olds against these in school. No catch up programme for Men B in this age group though.
If I was going to pay for men B vaccination at all I would get it done now, what wait? Get your money's worth so to speak!

I had my 2yo vaccinated and still would have done if she was older. It isn't 100% protection but it's such a horrible disease I felt it was worth it. She had no side affects other than the lump at the injection site

Yes we had both our dc's vaccinated. It's a horrific disease that can kill, or leave with loss of limbs. As a health professional I've seen the horrendous outcome of meningitis and it's not something I was prepared to risk.

Any other opinions on this please?

We had our DS vaccinated last week, he's 4. The Dr doing it said he'd recommend for anyone younger and up to around 5. He said, while emphasising that he can't say for certain they wouldn't get it, but that it tapers off generally between 5 and 11/12.

Boots have started offering the Men B vaccinations if your baby is 2 or over. I think it's 2 jabs for £95 each, which is cheaper than the other private quotes I've had.

Forgot to add in my post that I've booked my toddler in for next week, my DH pretty much had the same reaction as yours OP. But I think it's worth it.

My 3 yr old has had the first jab & we're waiting for the 2nd. It was a no brainier for us, we could afford it and could get it prescribed & administered easily.
DS seemed to find it much more painful than any other injections, 24 hrs later he was still saying his leg hurt. But I think it's a small price to pay for a bit more peace of mind