Cross-party MPs back calls for a UK-led vaccine trial to help children with cancer
Today Solving Kids’ Cancer UK has joined Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, and Tom Tugendhat, Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling, at a roundtable of experts to advise on efforts to secure UK-led vaccine trials for children with cancer.
Solving Kids’ Cancer UK has provided support to organise this roundtable event and will be joined by parents of children with neuroblastoma; Shirley Hepworth and Claire Scott, as well as medical experts and representatives from Solving Kids’ Cancer UK and Neuroblastoma UK.
“Government funding support for this type of UK initiative will greatly accelerate progress, guarantee trial delivery, and ensure UK children with cancer and UK academic research institutions are at the very forefront of international developments. Most impactfully of all, if the vaccine is shown to be effective, it could save the lives of many children with neuroblastoma who would otherwise die.”
Gail Jackson, CEO of Solving Kids' Cancer UK
Both MPs have constituents, who are joining the roundtable today, whose children are battling high-risk neuroblastoma and have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to pay for treatments currently only available in the United States.
Kim Leadbeater MP said: “Parents like Shirley in my constituency have done amazing work with strong community support to raise the huge sums needed to send children like her brave daughter Beau to America for treatment. A UK-led trial would save other families from the burden of having to fundraise and allow them to concentrate on looking after their kids at home. I look forward to discussing what needs to be done to bring this about as soon as possible.”
Tom Tugendhat MP said: “Claire’s son Liam is now cancer free after treatment in New York. I was delighted that the Health Secretary was sympathetic to the need for a British trial when he met them earlier this year. The UK now has the opportunity to show leadership in the fight to improve survival rates for some of the most vulnerable children and I hope this meeting will be a major step towards achieving this.”
This cross-party event is an opportunity to extend Solving Kids‘ Cancer UK's reach, raising awareness and advocating for the children and families we support.