A new vaccine to save your child from this deadly infection will cost you $500.

Meningococcal B is the cause of 83% of cases of the deadly infection in Australia. There was no vaccine until today. But it will cost you.

Today is the first day a vaccine for Meningococcal B will be on sale.

We have all heard of Meningococcal. And it is the infection that is on the top of the worry list for parents. It targets children under the age of five and young people between 15 and 24 years old. It can also be frighteningly difficult to diagnose, with symptoms at first appearing like a common cold.

And while there is a vaccine for Meningococcal C (there are five strains in total), the most common one, Meningococcal B hasn’t had a vaccine until today.

But it is going to cost you.

$500 to be specific.

To be fully immunised against the strain that causes 83% of cases in Australia, babies will need four $125 vaccinations before blowing out the candles on their second birthday.

While the vaccine for Meningococcal C has been subsidised for years, the pharmaceutical company is still planning on applying to make it free (through a government subsidy). Once this happens, it will become part of the regular vaccinations babies need.

Until then parents will have to find $500 in their budget to ensure their child is one step removed from this deadly infection.

So, is it worth it?

As reported to News Corp, Sydney mum Amanda Whicker says, “I would 110 per cent urge any mum to give their child this vaccine. You can’t put a price on your child’s life, I would find the money.”

Whicker talks from a personal experience. She nearly lost her two-year-old son Joshua to Meningococcal B in 2011. After a GP failed to diagnose the infection, Whicker's husband noticed a pin-prick freckle and immediately took him to a Campbelltown hospital where they were told Joshua would never walk or talk. Three years later Joshua has autism, anxiety disorder and attends a special school. Extensive therapy has helped him to walk and speak.

These are the results of this infection.

In one year, around 200 Australians are diagnosed with Meningococcal and 20 people die each year. One in five who survive the infection suffer from devastating, lifelong disabilities like Joshua.

University of Sydney infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy reported to News Corp. that widespread use of the subsidised Meningococcal C vaccine has contributed to the virtual elimination of the disease in younger Australians.

“To truly tackle the burden of Meningococcal disease we need to ensure the widespread vaccination against Meningococcal B,” he said.

To be immunised against the common strain, a baby would need a shot of the vaccine at two months, four months, six months and a booster at two. Children over 12 months, or older Australians require two doses of the vaccine a month apart.

If you have any concerns about your child's health, always contact your GP or Medical Centre.

Would you pay for this extra vaccine?