Campaign in memory of Londonderry tot bearing fruit

Londonderry MP Mark Durkan has called for the immediate introduction of a Meningitis vaccine for all newborns in Northern Ireland whilst praising indefatigable Tullyally campaigners, Emma and Darren Cowey, who have been fighting for action for a over a decade in memory of their late son Jamie.

SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan has welcomed an announcment that all newborn babies in England and Scotland are to be offered the new Men B vaccine Bexsero from September 1 and has called for Northern Ireland to urgently follow suit.

Former Health Minister Jim Wells signed off on a vaccine to be included as part of the routine childhood vaccination programme in March.

But Mr Durkan wants action immediately.

In Britain the new Men B vaccine will be given to babies at two months, four months and 12 months old – and is to become the first national and publicly-funded programme against the deadly infection in the world.

Mr Durkan, who tabled parliamentary motions and campaigned at Westminster with the charity Meningitis Now calling on the government to introduce the new vaccine, has also supported the local campaign by Londonderry parents Emma and Darren Cowey who lost their nine-month-old son Jamie to Meningitis B in November 2004.

Since Jamie passed away to the killer disease at the Royal Victoria Hospital on Halloween in 2004, less than 24 hours after the first symptoms developed, the Waterside couple have been tireless campaigners for a vaccine.