Our Chief Executive Dr Tom Nutt said,
“We welcome the encouraging news of the continued decline of meningococcal disease across England. The positive impact of the UK’s meningitis immunisation programmes cannot be overstated, and we are heartened to see these efforts yielding such powerful results.
“The success of the MenC vaccination programme, which was introduced in 1999, has clearly made a profound difference in protecting children, young people, and adults from this life-threatening illness.”
The new data has been released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is responsible for public health protection in England. Their data shows that MenC disease is down by around 96% since 1999 when the vaccine was first introduced to the NHS routine vaccination programme. Cases of MenC, MenW and MenY are also reported by UKHSA as being very low because of the teenage MenACWY vaccine programme.
However, the new figures show that MenB is responsible for most cases of meningococcal disease, with 301 cases confirmed between July 2023 and June 2024 - that’s more than 80% of all cases in England.
Tom Nutt added, “While this is a major milestone in the fight against meningococcal disease, we know that there is still work to be done to safeguard every individual, especially those most vulnerable.
“MenB remains the most prevalent strain of meningococcal disease. This reinforces the need for continued vigilance, additional research to inform vaccine strategies and support for all families affected by the disease.
“Meningitis Now remains committed to ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against this devastating illness and that progress continues in preventing all forms of meningitis.”
You can find out more about meningitis vaccines here.
