Layla's Law

LAYLA'S Law . . . Layla-Rose Ermenekli

THE loving great-uncle of a girl who died at the age of just six is fighting her cause at the highest level.

Stephen Carter has launched a campaign to secure meningitis B vaccines for children after Layla-Rose Ermenekli contracted "one of the worst cases of meningitis" medics had ever seen.

Layla-Rose, from Limeside, was rushed to A&E on Friday, February 3, with a high temperature and died suddenly only hours later.

Initial test results revealed she had died of meningococcal meningitis, with the family later learning that it was meningitis B.

Lobby

Around 100 family members and supporters intend to travel to Parliament in early July to lobby as many MPs as possible to push for a change in the law ­- Layla's Law.

Their aim is to ensure all children receive the MenB (meningococcal group B) vaccination.

In the UK, from September 2015, babies born on or after July 1, 2015, are being offered the MenB vaccine and babies born on or after May 1 are being offered the vaccine as part of a one-off catch-up campaign.

But in July, 2016, it was determined that the MenB vaccine would not be extended to under-twos in the UK due to insufficient supplies.

The government decision came after more than 820,000 people signed a petition calling for the jab Bexsero to be given to all children.

Mr Carter (64), from Milton Keynes, said: "In any civilised society in 2017, a cost cannot be placed on a child's life.

"Given what Parliament knows about this disease NHS vaccinations should have been made available to all children from September 1, 2015. It really does beggar belief that they weren't.

"It is a fact that Layla-Rose would be with us today had that have happened. That is really hard for us to come to terms with.

"After what has happened to our beautiful Layla-Rose as a result of the dreadful illness, children must be protected.

"Given what we now know as a family, we would not have run with such an incredibly high risk of death, which was possible in such a short time frame of six short hours. We would obviously have paid for the vaccination.

"People really need to know and understand MenB complexities."

The MenB vaccine can be purchased privately in the UK and Ireland, so people who are not currently eligible for the vaccine on the NHS can get it if they pay for it.

A petition for children of all ages to receive the vaccine on the NHS, which was launched by Jennifer Ellam, failed to reach 10,000 signatures by its March 9 deadline.

Stephen called on relatives and friends to sign this existing petition to maximise on signatures rather than launching another.

However, Mr Carter launched his campaign called RISE on March 1, targeting some 30 MPs who took part in a debate on meningitis on April 25, 2016.

RISE (Rethink & Re-evaluate, Immunize all Children Against MenB Now, Stop our Children Dying, Every Child matters) aims to secure the vaccination for children of all ages and raise the profile of bacterial meningococcal meningitis.

Layla-Rose's mum and Mr Carter's niece, Kirsty Ermenekli, said: "I really want there to be more information out there about the symptoms of meningitis and the different types. I'm really thankful to Steve for raising awareness about this."

Mr Carter added: "Layla has had no chance of life ­- that is both wholly unnecessary and just plain wrong. Had the vaccination been available as it should, had Kirsty and Ricky been made aware of the high risk and potential for this to happen, we would have prevented it.

"How many more parents out there don't know or realise the risk this poses?"