How Much Would A Dose Of Vaccine For Meningitis B Cost If It Were Available To Parents...

[sandyRoe]

... Of small children?

[DaisyNonna]

Think it is terrible that it is taking so much time to get this vaccine where it is needed.

[Buenchico]

Googling finds the vaccine offered privately at prices such as £100 and £195 (although the Daily Wail was citing a figure of 'around £75' a year ago).

The BBC is currently reporting that, as far as the NHS is concerned, "a cost-effective price has not yet been agreed with the manufacturer":
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31986446
As such discussions are probably seen as 'commercially sensitive', I suspect that it's unlikely that you'll be able to find out what it's actually being offered for by them.

[hc4361]

It is available privately for £100

[sandyRoe]

The mother of a tot who needed multiple amputations was just speaking on radio news.shell be wishing the vaccine had been available.

[DaisyNonna]

How much does it cost to produce?
Yes, I do realise that research is costly and that pharmaceutical companies are there to make a profit. How much can people afford to protect their children? Depends on how much they are earning.

[New Judge]

The UK is due to give £65m to Zambia this year as part of the "International Development" budget. Similar sums have been givern to the country for many years. Zambia has shown no signs of development at all since its independence in 1964.

Even at £100 a throw (probably a considerable over estimate of the price) this would provide 650,000 vaccinations - about the number of children born in the UK each year.

[DaisyNonna]

Why can't we look after our own?
Development seems to be an umbrella word. Where exactly does that money go? Into government coffers? Is it used for the people or just line governmental pockets?

[Prudie]

We should certainly redistribute some our spending towards more worthy outgoings such as this but I always feel the pharmaceutical companies have a lot to answer for. I bet their mark-up is hard to defend.

[DaisyNonna]

So how can we pressurise them into making this vital vaccine available?

[Mamyalynne]

I think what is so sad about this , we constantly read of new strides and discoveries being made - only to read the next day or so that they are prohibitively expensive to provide.

When you have someone suffering it tears you apart and you wish you hadn't seen the first report.

[Prudie]

I don't know but I've often though the government should write a law giving them the power to force the drug companies to reduce their prices. Hardly any of these things cost a fraction of their price to make (and yes I understand the argument that they plough their profit back into research).

[Mamyalynne]

I know that is off the actual topic of vaccine, but I hope my point is clear.

[tonyav]

The doctors aren't very happy about the length of time the price negotiations are taking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/21/meningitis_n_6914886.html?

[DaisyNonna]

Mamya, I completely understand.
It is heartbreaking. The big companies are in effect using moral blackmail.

[DaisyNonna]

Did Edward Jenner become rich from his research?

[Daffy6543]

The drug companies have to pay their staff, equip their laboratories, buy materials etc. The cost of research and development is huge in the case of all drugs. When you think some of them have been in development for years (some 10 or more), the costs involved are astronomical. They have to recoup their money and make a profit the same as every other business in the world.

[tonyav]

Looks like things have changed.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/meningitis-b-vaccine-deal-will-save-lives/ar-AAa9Tqx

[bhg481]

It's always very difficult to put a selling-price on something. Just suppose, for argument's sake, that you spent 10 years developing a gimmick that, when put in a car's fuel tank, would improve the fuel consumption from 50mpg to 500mpg. It costs you £1 to make this. How much would you sell it for?
On top of that, as the minister said this morning, he has to watch the public purse and negotiate with the drugs companies how much to pay for a new drug. If he just pays the asking price he will be criticised for wasting money; if he takes time to negotiate he will be criticised for not using it immediately.