A year on from the tragic death of Maidstone two-year-old Faye Burdett her parents have hit out at the government's lack of action.

Little Faye lost her 12-day battle with meningitis B on Valentine's Day last year.

What followed was an unprecedented response to her parents' call for the vaccine to be extended to children under 11, with a petition garnering 823,000 signatures.

Despite this and an impassioned parliamentary debate, extending the vaccine was judged to not be cost effective.

Faye's father Neil, from Derby Road, Shepway, said: “To us, as a family who had lost our precious daughter to this preventable disease, the decision was both insulting and devastating.

“Faye was just six months too old to receive the Men B vaccine when it was introduced in September 2015. Any parent would be devastated at the loss of a child, but to do so, knowing that it could have been prevented is crippling.

"This was further compounded by the fact that we didn’t know that we could have taken Faye to get this vaccination privately.

“We are determined to make sure that other parents know more about meningitis than we did when Faye died. The fact that such a small amount of information about the vaccine, the signs and symptoms and the need to take urgent action, could have saved her life and the fact that we did not know this, will haunt us forever.”

During the debate former health minister Jane Ellison promised a review of the framework used to assess the cost effectiveness of vaccines such as Bexsero.

She also promised to undertake a national awareness campaign to protect children. To date, neither have been delivered.

Rachel Robinson, acting CEO at Meningitis Now, said: “The death of Faye Burdett touched the nation’s heart and Neil and Jenny must be thanked for their bravery in sharing their experience.

“In the absence of the Men B vaccine being extended outside the tight constraints set down by the Department of Health, it is, as Neil and Jenny have said, crucial that parents and carers take responsibility for their children’s health and make sure they know the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

“It is also important that parents and carers trust their instincts if they are concerned that their child may have meningitis and are more confident in challenging and questioning doctors if they are unhappy with the initial diagnosis. Parents know instinctively when their child has more than a cold or flu, which are commonplace at this time of the year.”

Neil Burdett added: “We of course welcome the news that more children than ever are now protected against Men B and that the cases among those who have been vaccinated have halved. But what about those not vaccinated, those who are still at risk and the families who simply cannot afford to protect their children privately? And let’s not forget the 823,000 people that signed the petition.

"I would call on the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt to explain the delays in the publication of the cost-effectiveness report and the lack of any awareness campaign. These were promised by his minister and he owes all of these people an explanation.

“We hope that our actions in bringing Faye’s experience to the notice of parents across the UK, has, in some way, encouraged them to get their children vaccinated, or at least encouraged them to learn the signs and symptoms of this debilitating disease and that this becomes Faye’s legacy - a legacy where her death has helped to save the lives of other children. For this, we couldn’t be more proud of our little girl.”

Mr Burdett will be one of three panelists on a special Facebook Live broadcast discussing the topic on Meningitis Now’s Facebook page at 7pm tomorrow.