GWENT parents whose children battled meningitis have welcomed new funding that will ensure all babies in Wales can be vaccinated against meningitis B.

On March 29, the Welsh Government announced that a deal had been agreed for the vaccine Bexsero to be made available to all babies in Wales.

The Welsh Government confirmed today (Wed) that £7.7m of funding will now be made available for the vaccine.

The vaccine will be made available by the end of this year and every baby in Wales will have access to it, meaning tens of thousands of babies will be inoculated.

As part of the national childhood immunisation programme in Wales, babies will receive the first meningitis B vaccine at two months followed by two further doses.

Among those to have welcomed the funding is Jason Wicks, 41, from Newport, whose son, Jacob, nine, recovered from meningitis B in May 2008.

After being put in an induced coma, Jacob spent nine days in intensive care and a further month in hospital at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

He had to learn to walk again and now suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of the infection, which means he cannot walk long distances.

Jacob’s family have campaigned for the introduction of Bexsero since 2013 and Mr Wicks said he was delighted with the funding announcement.

He said: “I can’t describe what it’s like to watch your child fighting for his life in intensive care.

“It’s fantastic that other children and families will not have to go through the horrendous experience that Jacob did.

“It’s taken so long and so many children have since gone through it when they shouldn’t have, but this is a real step forward.”

The funding announcement has also been welcomed by Caroline Williams, 33, from Tredegar, whose son, Caden, died aged one after contracting meningitis B in March 2014.

Fearing that her second son, Kelyn, four months, would contract the infection, Ms Williams has since paid for the Bexsero vaccination privately.

She said: “I didn’t know about the vaccine until Caden died and would definitely use it on the NHS

"Caden was only ill for 10-and-a-half hours before he died and I wouldn’t want anyone to imagine what that was like.

“No one should suffer like that, so I’m thrilled that other children will be protected.

“It will give parents piece of mind and hopefully it will save as many lives as possible.”

Danielle George, 35, mother of Olivia George, 19 months, who beat viral meningitis in 2013, has also welcomed the announcement.

Olivia, from Pontypool, was just five days old when she was diagnosed with meningitis in August 2013 and was airlifted to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Olivia – whose weight had dropped below 8lb – was put on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine for ten days, which pumped oxygen into her blood for her. She was then put onto a ventilator which helped her breathe.

Olivia spent five weeks at Great Ormond Street before a further two weeks of recuperation at the Heath.

Mrs George said: “The new funding is great news.

“There should not even have been a consultation on any vaccine that could help save babies’ lives.

“We didn’t have access to vaccinations like this, but we can take comfort from other families having access to it.”

Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said: “These negotiations mean we have now secured a meningitis B vaccine, which will benefit the health of all babies in Wales.

"Now a price has been agreed we will work to make this vaccination available as soon as practicable.”