A government advisory committee has recommended that teenagers throughout the UK be offered the meningitis B vaccine as part of the National Health Service immunization program. The recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation follows a series of outbreaks that resulted in multiple deaths and hospitalizations.
The committee proposes administering the vaccine to young people at age 15, with additional catch-up programs for those who may have missed earlier doses. For teenagers who received the menB vaccine during infancy, a booster shot is recommended around age 15, with the first cohort eligible being those turning 15 in 2030. Those who did not receive the vaccine as babies would be offered two doses. The committee particularly supports providing two doses to individuals born on or before April 30 2015 when they reach approximately age 15, as this group was not routinely offered the vaccine during infancy on the NHS.
The recommendation responds to recent outbreaks in March in Kent and May in Berkshire. The Kent outbreak, described as unprecedented by the UK Health Security Agency, was linked to a Canterbury nightclub and resulted in two deaths with over a dozen cases requiring hospitalization. The Berkshire outbreak in May resulted in the death of a school student. In response to these incidents, a temporary vaccination campaign has already been implemented this summer targeting approximately one million young people entering university or other residential further education.
Meningitis B is the most common bacterial form of meningococcal disease, an infection affecting the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord. England typically sees 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease annually, though outbreaks remain uncommon. Advocacy groups and families affected by recent cases have been campaigning for expanded vaccination programs for teenagers and young people in this age group.
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