A FATHER whose son almost died from meningitis has spoken of his joy that a potentially life-saving vaccine will soon be available to babies in the UK.

Andrew Ikin and his wife Amelia went through turmoil when their son Toby developed meningococcal meningitis Group B (MenB) and septicaemia in 2011 — so when a MenB vaccine was recommended in March last year the couple were delighted.

A year on the vaccine had still not been released, so they threw their support behind the #WheresOurVaccine campaign launched by Meningitis Research Foundation.

The campaign paid off now health minister Jeremy Hunt has promised that Britain will become the first country in the world with a nationwide meningitis B vaccination programme.

Mr Ikin, of Crown Lane, Horwich, said: “I’m really pleased that people have decided to sign the petition and our voices have been heard. Hopefully it will mean that other children’s lives can be made better in the future because they will not have to go through what Toby did.”

Discussions between the department of health and drug companies over the price of the vaccine began in August last year.

Mr Ikin, aged 35, said: “Meningitis will never go away but hopefully we will see a decline in the amount of people who are affected.

“I will never forget having to give my son a lumber puncture and he was begging me not to do it because it was so painful.

“Toby was in intensive care for about three or four days with tubes all over the place and I’m sure he isn’t the only one. All because they wouldn’t cough up the money for an injection any sooner.”

MP for Bolton West Julie Hilling added: “It’s really good news but it is a real pity that it has been delayed for 12 months — thousands of children have been affected.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to people like the Ikins for all the hard work they have done in raising awareness of this issue.”