A family who lost their youngest son to meningitis have been given a boost after progress in their campaign to make a lifesaving vaccine available on the NHS.

Richard and Judi Mills of Institute Road in Marlow, whose 11-year-old son Harry died in 2007, last week called on the Government to end the stalemate with manufacturers of a meningitis B jab, approved for use a year ago.

And after pressure on MPs, this week health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced he was "very encouraged" that a deal can now be done to roll it out nationwide.

Mr Hunt said he is "much more hopeful" a deal can be struck soon now manufacturer Novartis has been taken over by pharmaceutical giant GSK, which is now negotiating on price.

He said: “We do need them to be reasonable but we certainly do want to do everything we can to get this vaccine out there.

“We have to be bound by what the experts say is using our very scarce resources in the NHS.

“We did have a deadlock, but I’m very encouraged. We would love to be the first country in the world to make this vaccine widely available.

“It could be a very exciting thing for parents who have had the heartbreak of losing a child.”

After Harry's shock death eight years ago, Mr and Mrs Mills have tirelessly raised over £120,000 in his memory with the help of Marlovians.

There are estimated to be around 3,200 cases of meningitis and septicaemia every year in the UK, with around one in ten proving fatal and a third of victims left with after-effects.

A vaccine for the type-B strain was approved by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on March 21 last year, to be routinely given to children in the UK.

But the government hit a deadlock with Novartis who wanted £5 more per vaccine than the NHS were willing to pay.

Mr and Mrs Mills wrote to MP Dominic Grieve for help, who has promised to put pressure on Mr Hunt to find a solution.

Mr Grieve told the MFP he remains committed to supporting the Mills' campaign.

He said: "I’m very mindful of this and I have written again to the secretary of state, who has actually been on the radio talking on the matter this week.

"You have to recognise that to vaccinate every baby in the country is a very expensive process.

"But I am very pleased to note the secretary of state is taking action and that progress seems to be being made."