UK offers meningitis jab to young people after outbreak

 The UK government has responded to calls to broaden vaccinations for meningitis B (MenB), saying it will offer two doses of GSK's Bexsero shot to up to young people aged under 25.

The one-off immunisation campaign comes after the largest-ever UK outbreak in Kent earlier this year, which resulted in two deaths, as well as unusual clusters of cases in Dorset and Berkshire. MenB has a fatality rate of around 10% and can also result in life-changing disabilities such as amputations, hearing loss, and brain damage.

Vaccination with Bexsero has been available through the NHS for all infants since 2015, but there remains a large population of young people who remain unvaccinated. Until now, extending immunisation to older young people has not been deemed cost-effective, in part because it does not stop the infection from being transmitted, although it does reduce the risk of severe symptoms.

To address that shortfall, the NHS will offer the vaccine to all Year 13 pupils – typically aged 17 – as well as anyone under 25 starting university or residential further education for the first time this autumn. The first dose will be offered from July, and the second in August, to get ahead of the usual September intakes.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said Bexsero will be offered to "thousands" of young people, with some estimates saying the eligibility could be as high as a million. The jabs will also be available to international students, although, DHSC said they "should receive their first dose in their home country where possible."

Health Secretary James Murray said the action was taken because the recent cases indicate a possible change to the way MenB affects people.

"While we assess the latest evidence, we are acting now to help protect young people at highest immediate risk," he added, alluding to data that suggests that the relative risk of invasive MenB disease in first-year university students is substantially greater than in their peers.

"I urge all those students who are eligible to come forward for their two doses […] to give them peace of mind as they head off to continue their studies."

Patient advocacy organisation Meningitis NOW, which ran a campaign to persuade the government to broaden MenB vaccination, described today's announcement as a major step forward in the fight to help protect people from the life-threatening disease.

The charity's chief executive, Dr Tom Nutt, said the move "will be welcomed by all those who have fought for better protection for precious young lives. It represents real progress and has significant potential to prevent cases of meningitis."

He added, however, that there is still more to be done to plug the vaccination gap, calling for eligibility to be expanded to include young people already at university and younger teenagers.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/uk-offers-meningitis-jab-young-people-after-outbreak