Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to make a cheaper, more effective vaccine against pneumococcal meningitis available on the NHS.

The availability and pricing of vaccines, including any targeting pneumococcal meningitis, are primarily matters for vaccine manufacturers. Available vaccines, and those close to being licensed, are considered and assessed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Department of Health, on their potential use in the national immunisation programme. Vaccines used in the national immunisation programme are chosen following stringent procurement processes, which include competitive tendering, in order to achieve best value for money.