A CAMPAIGN to provide children with a new potentially life saving vaccine against Meningitis was backed by Marlow's MP this week.

After meeting the Mills family, who lost their son Harry to the disease aged just 11 in 2007, Dominic Grieve has written to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley about the vaccine.

Attorney General Mr Grieve has asked his Tory Government colleague about the feasibility of introducing the new medication.

The Mills family want the vaccine, for the B strain of the illness, to available to all UK children at birth from the start of 2012.

Beaconsfield MP Mr Grieve told the Marlow Free Press: “Clearly there are cost implications.

"It's £40 a vaccine and at the moment the package given to children is about £200 in all so it adds quite substantially.

“But on the other hand, in view of the devastating nature of the illness and the preventability that will all have to be factored in, that's what I was seeking a response on (from the Health Secretary).

“The awareness campaign is extremely important, there's no doubt about that.

"If you can pick up the symptoms the chances of surviving are much higher.”

He added: “I was pleased to meet them.

"I think their campaign is extremely desirable and I'm very supportive of what they are trying to do.”

Richard and Judi Mills, of Institute Road, Marlow, met with the MP last week in Beaconsfield.

Richard, 56, said: “We had a very good meeting with Dominic.

"The case we are making is that Meningitis B has a devastating effect on those who have lost loved ones as a result.

“Half of cases are Meningitis B and ten per cent of those die.

"Many others are left with very bad disabilities.”

Over a lifetime, it is estimated costs of caring for those left disabled range between £2m to £3m, father-of-three Richard said.

The fourth annual Harry Mills lunch was also held on Wednesday at St Katherine's Convent, in Frieth, raising about £3,500 for the Oxford Transplant Foundation.

See link below for more information about their campaign.