PARENTS in York and Selby are being urged to make sure their children get a new jab which is being offered for the first time from next week.

Earlier this year the Government announced it would be offering children the new vaccine against pneumococcal disease - which can lead to meningitis, blood poisoning and pneumonia if it enters the bloodstream.

The move sparked fears of "immunisation overload" because babies would now be given 25 different types of vaccine, as they are in the US.

But Dr Robin Ball, immunisation co-ordinator for York and Selby, said the new jab would save lives.

"It's a good vaccine, it will save lives, and I think it's very good it's coming in," he said.

"A child's immune system has the ability to cope with thousands of new germs at a time.

"This has been in use in the States. There, studies have shown it's safe and effective, that there was no increase in the number of adverse effects from immunisation."

Advances in technology also meant new jabs had fewer "antigens" - substances which the body could regard as harmful - than vaccines of the previous generation.

The new jab will be routinely offered to parents for the first time from Monday.

GP surgeries are currently gearing up for the new programme, which will mean parents will have an extra visit to the surgery to accommodate the new jab.

Pneumococcal disease is now the most serious kind of meningitis for British children.

More than 50 children in England and Wales die of the disease each year, about one tenth of the 530 annual cases.

Children under two are at the highest risk and the new jab will be given at two, four and 13 months.

Dr Ball said: "This is another big step forward in preventing serious, and potentially fatal, child illnesses. "I'm very pleased that this vaccine will now be given to all children under the age of two.

"Parents will be getting appointments from GP surgeries for the new vaccine."

The current three doses of MenC vaccine will be re-spaced so they are given at three and four months, with a booster at 12 months.