Pharmacies have been branded ‘totally immoral’ for cashing in on the meningitis outbreak by charging hundreds of pounds for jabs as stocks run low.
Chemists report running out of vaccines after two youngsters died from the infection and another 11 were hospitalised after falling ill over the past week.
Babies can get the meningitis B vaccine on the NHS but children born before 2015 missed out unless they paid privately.
Early testing has revealed the cases linked to the nightclub Club Chemistry in Canterbury, Kent, are MenB, the deadlier form of the infection, sparking a rush for the vaccine from university and school students.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged the public not to be ‘ripped off’ by paying over the odds for a jab that will be offered for free on the NHS to those who need it if officials decide it is necessary.
A snap poll of 300 pharmacies by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) on Tuesday found 87 per cent have seen ‘considerable’ rises in requests for the jab.
This is ‘far exceeding’ the supply available from wholesalers, it warned. Some pharmacies received 30 to 40 requests for bookings on Tuesday morning as well as pre-emptive requests for antibiotics.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency said it will launch a ‘small targeted’ vaccination programme due to the ‘severity of the situation’.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged the public not to be ‘ripped off’ by paying for a jab that will be offered for free on the NHS to those who need it if officials decide it is necessary
A snap poll found 87 per cent of the 300 pharmacies asked have seen ‘considerable’ rises in requests for the meningitis B jab
Mr Streeting told the Commons he has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises ministers, to urgently review the eligibility criteria for the jab.
Labour MP Danny Beales said: ‘Obviously, parents and students are very concerned. There’s reports online that private pharmacies are selling vaccinations for several hundreds of pounds.
‘Can the Secretary of State assure this house that the NHS and Department of Health are monitoring any possible price gouging around vaccinations?’
Mr Streeting responded: ‘To price gouge and profiteer in this situation would be a totally immoral and irresponsible thing to do. We’re not advising people to pay for a vaccine.
‘I understand people may wish to make individual choices but I would urge people not to allow themselves to be ripped off by people trying to exploit understandable public anxiety.’
