Meningitis vaccine on sale at high-street pharmacies

Until now, the inoculation against the brain infection was only allowed to be used in hospitals, and was given to high-risk cases, but it has now been reclassified as 'non-restricted prescription medicine' after being passed by the Spanish Agency for Medication and Health Products (AEMPS), part of the ministry of health.

From October 1, high-street chemists are authorised to sell the vaccine 'Bexsero', marketed by Novartis – two years and 10 months after it was approved by the European Union.

So far, 1.2 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed worldwide after stringent quality-control testing.

It is suitable for use after the age of two months.

Meningitis-B, or Neisseria meningitidis group B, is the virus responsible for seven in 10 cases of the disease in Spain.

The bacteria can cause both meningitis and meningioccocal septicaemia, both of which are potentially fatal.

In the first scenario, the death toll is around 10% and in the second, up to 40% - but one in five children who survive the second strain suffer extreme after-effects including loss of limbs, convulsions, severe loss of hearing, and brain damage.

The vaccine was approved by the European Union in January 2013 and has since been rolled out to pharmacies across the continent.

So far, in addition to Spain, it can be purchased over the counter in Portugal, the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Greece, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Poland.

It has also recently been authorised in Australia, Canada, Brazil and the USA.

The vaccine is sold in high-street chemists to people who have had, or believe they may have had contact with an infected person; who are regularly exposed to the risk; or to the general public in the event of an outbreak or epidemic locally.