All teenagers across the UK should be offered a meningitis vaccine on the NHS following a series of fatal outbreaks, a government commitee has said.
The recommendation, made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), would mean that young people would be eligible for the menB vaccine at the age of 15, alongside catch-up programmes for those who otherwise would have missed out.
This intervention follows several meningitis outbreaks occurring across the UK, resulting in dozens of confirmed cases alongside several deaths. In March, a major outbreak in Kent linked to a Canterbury nightclub killed two people and left over a dozen needing hospital treatment, while a similar outbreak in Berkshire in May led to the death of a school student.
Specifically, the committee is recommending that the government introduces a booster jab for those aged around 15 who had the menB jab as an infant, and the first cohort to which this will apply to are those who will turn 15 in 2030. Meanwhile, children who missed the jab as a baby will be offered two doses.
The committee has also said that it “strongly supports” giving two doses of the menB vaccine to children born on or before April 30 2015 when they are around 15-years-old, due to the fact that this group were not offered the vaccine on the NHS as babies and so have missed out on protection as infants.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, the chair of the JCVI, said: “Invasive meningococcal disease is a rare but very serious illness, which can have a devastating impact on lives. JCVI has worked closely with meningitis charities and would like to thank all those who responded, including on behalf of loved ones who sadly died or had life-changing complications. Their lived experiences were carefully considered.”
As a precaution, a one-off vaccination campaign has already been launched across the UK this summer for around a million young people who will be attending university or other further residential education in the autumn.
Meningococcal disease, commonly known as meningitis, is an infection of the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord caused by different bacteria and viruses. Meningitis B, known as MenB, is the most common bacterial form of the disease. About 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year, although outbreaks are rare.
The family of 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who died in the outbreak in March in Kent, have been campaigning for teenagers and young people to routinely be vaccinated against the disease.
The outbreak seen in Kent, described as “unprecedented” by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), was also described by experts as the quickest-growing spread they had ever seen.
Dr Tom Nutt, the chief executive of Meningitis Now, said that the committee’s recommendation was a “significant moment in the fight against meningitis”.
“We have consistently called for the vaccination of this age group, who remain at increased risk of MenB disease,” Nutt said. “Today’s recommendation is an important step towards ensuring that far more young people are protected from this devastating disease. Behind today’s recommendation are countless families whose lives have been forever changed by meningitis.
He added: “Many have channelled their grief, loss and lived experience into tirelessly campaigning for change, determined that other families should never have to endure what they have been through. Today we remember all lives lost to meningitis and recognise this landmark step takes us closer to a world where no-one has to experience this devastating disease.”
