Meningitis Outbreak: Calls for More Vaccines as Kent Cases Rise
Calls are growing for a wider rollout of meningitis vaccines in the UK, following a recent outbreak in Kent that has left two people dead and prompted the health secretary to ask vaccination experts to review eligibility criteria.
Sue Neale, co-founder of the meningitis charity Meningitis Now, has urged authorities to produce vaccines more accessible to young people, citing the “devastating” impact of the disease. Neale’s son, Adam, contracted meningitis B during an outbreak in Stroud and South Gloucestershire in the 1980s, an outbreak that claimed two lives. “I’ve seen the devastation,” Neale said, expressing concern that current vaccine eligibility leaves many vulnerable adolescents and young adults unprotected. “Nobody can afford to have meningitis, the cost is with you for life.”
Meningitis Now was established in the 1980s by Neale and Dr. Jane Wells after their sons were infected during the Stroud outbreak. The charity has welcomed the call from Health Secretary Wes Streeting for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to “re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines.”
The current outbreak in Kent has seen 29 confirmed or suspected cases of meningitis B, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Whereas the UKHSA believes the peak of the outbreak has passed, concerns remain about the potential for further cases, particularly among those who did not receive the MenB vaccine as infants. Routine vaccination against MenB began in 2015, leaving a gap in protection for individuals born before that year.
Streeting stated on March 17th that the government follows the advice of the JCVI, but requested a review of the MenB vaccine eligibility. Currently, teenagers are offered a vaccine protecting against some strains of meningitis, but not MenB.
Professor Adam Finn, Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Bristol, cautioned that vaccines do not offer “instantaneous” protection. He emphasized that behavioral changes, such as avoiding close contact in crowded settings, will be crucial in controlling the outbreak. “What will bring the outbreak under control is that people will modify their behaviour because they’re concerned about transmission,” Finn said. He also noted that antibiotics administered to several thousand young people will help reduce transmission.
Tom Nutt, CEO of Meningitis Now, highlighted the severity of the disease, stating that one in ten people infected with bacterial meningitis die, and that even those who survive often face long-term health consequences. He added that the charity had been advocating for the introduction of the MenB vaccine prior to the current outbreak and that studies are underway to assess the potential benefits of booster doses for teenagers previously vaccinated as infants. Nutt suggested that ministers could act beyond the JCVI’s recommendations to address the situation.
The JCVI, an expert scientific advisory committee, provides guidance to the UK government on vaccination and immunisation matters. The committee is chaired by Professor Wei Shen Lim and includes members from various universities and public health organizations.