ALL babies in the UK will soon have a potentially life-saving vaccine against meningitis B under a landmark deal, the Health Secretary has announced.

Britain will become the first country in the world with a nationwide meningitis B vaccination programme after the Government reached a deal with drug maker GlaxoSmithKline.

The decision follows recent controversy over the Bexsero MenB vaccine after it emerged it was still not available to children despite being recommended by health advisers a year ago.

The drug will now be added to the national childhood immunisation scheme, meaning babies will receive the first vaccine at two months old, followed by two further doses.

Jeremy Hunt said: "I am very proud that we will be the first country in the world to have a nationwide MenB vaccination programme, helping to protect our children from a devastating disease.

"MenB can be severely disabling or fatal, especially in babies and young children. Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare so I am delighted that we have reached an agreement with GSK to supply the vaccine."

Discussions between the department and the drug company over the price of the vaccine began in August last year, following the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The Department of Health will now work with GSK to secure supplies of the vaccine and bring it into the national immunisation programme, likely to be from September this year.