UK experts are now recommending that all teenagers be offered a free meningitis B (MenB) vaccine around the age of 15, a change from previous guidance. This updated advice comes in response to concerns about the UK's largest and fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, which occurred in Kent earlier this year.
Advisers are urging the government to consider integrating MenB vaccinations routinely into the schedule for secondary school-aged children to enhance protection against the potentially deadly illness. The decision on whether to implement this recommendation, including its financial implications for the NHS and the method of delivery, will rest with ministers in each of the UK's nations.
Shortly after the Kent outbreak, which involved 29 confirmed or suspected meningitis cases and resulted in two deaths, there was an increase in private purchases of the vaccine by parents for their teenage children. At that time, government and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advisors stated there was no need for broader vaccination of teens in the UK. However, the advice has now evolved, acknowledging that teenagers are more susceptible to contracting and becoming ill from the infection.
Meningitis infections can spread through close contact, including activities like kissing or sharing vapes. Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI advisory group, emphasized that invasive meningococcal disease is a rare but serious illness with potentially devastating consequences. He noted that the JCVI had collaborated closely with meningitis charities and considered the experiences of individuals affected by the disease, including those who died or suffered life-changing complications.
Full protection against MenB requires two doses of the vaccine. The infection can lead to severe, life-threatening conditions such as meningitis and sepsis, and can result in permanent disabilities including amputations, hearing loss, and brain damage, or be fatal. Vaccination is highlighted as a means to save lives.
The MenB vaccine is already part of the UK's NHS childhood immunization program for babies born on or after July 1, 2015, due to their higher susceptibility and weaker immune response. However, this means that individuals over 11 years old have not received this particular jab. A one-off vaccination campaign is already underway this summer for specific groups, including young people heading to university for the first time, as a precautionary measure following the recent outbreak.