British health experts are now advising that all teenagers should receive a complimentary vaccination against meningitis B (MenB) at age 15. This shift in policy comes as a response to growing concerns regarding the most significant and rapidly spreading outbreak of the disease, which occurred in Kent earlier this year.
Currently, a temporary vaccination drive is underway across the UK for students preparing to start university. However, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is pushing for this to become a standard, routine offering in secondary schools. Whether to fund this initiative through the NHS remains a decision for ministers across the various UK nations.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI, noted that invasive meningococcal disease remains a rare but severe threat capable of causing profound life-altering consequences. The committee acknowledged input from families affected by the illness, including those who lost loved ones. The disease, which can lead to sepsis and meningitis, often results in severe disabilities like amputations or brain injury.
While infants have been offered the MenB vaccine since 2015, older children and teenagers missed out on this protection. Experts highlight that transmission often occurs through close contact, such as sharing drinks or kissing. Under the new proposal, most teenagers would require two doses, though those previously vaccinated as infants might only need a single booster.
