Doctors have sounded the alarm over plans to stop vaccinating babies against meningitis, claiming it would leave children vulnerable to the life-threatening infection.
All young people in the UK receive the vaccine that protects against meningococcal group C (MenC) bacteria around their first birthday. These insects cause meningitis – a rare infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spine.
The disease, which strikes healthy children without warning, is difficult to distinguish from milder childhood illnesses in its early stages and can be fatal within 24 hours.
Bacterial meningitis can cause a life-threatening blood infection called septicemia and lead to serious injuries, including loss of limbs, deafness and brain damage.
Since the introduction of meningitis vaccines in 1999, annual cases have dropped from about 1,300 to just a handful.
The drop in the annual vaccine is expected to come when Menitorix supplies run out in 2025, but the charity Meningitis Now says the change could “put lives at risk”.
Last summer, the pharmaceutical company GSK, which runs the jab called Menitorix, announced it was ending production in what it said was a “commercial decision”.
In response, vaccine chiefs said it would be removed from the childhood vaccination program entirely.
At the same time, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which advises the government, is replacing another aspect of the combined shot that protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib – another meningitis-causing bacterium. It is not intended to replace the MenC element.
Their experts say children are indirectly protected because teenagers now receive a meningitis vaccine called MenACWY.
Since the introduction of meningitis vaccines in 1999, annual cases have dropped from about 1,300 to just a handful. This is a sign that herd immunity has been achieved – when the amount of an insect in circulation drops to such a low level, it becomes very unlikely that it will be caught.
The vaccine for one-year-olds is expected to be phased out when stocks of Menitorix run out in 2025, but the charity Meningitis Now says the change could “put lives at risk”. Together with the Meningitis Research Foundation, she is calling for an additional MenACWY vaccination for young people.
Teen vaccination rates for meningitis fell during the pandemic and have not returned to pre-Covid levels, experts stress. Diseases caused by meningococcal bacteria are unpredictable and increase without warning, says Claire Wright of the Meningitis Research Foundation.
The pediatrician Dr. Nelly Ninis said that while she trusts the JCVI to make the right decision, young children can be at risk – especially when traveling abroad to parts of Africa and the Middle East where rates of MenC are higher.
DR Ninis warns that unpredictable outbreaks can also occur in any country. “In recent years there have been small hotspots all over Europe,” she says.
“Children can pick up the bacteria in their throats, and although they may not be affected, they can carry it with them and spread it to other people.”
“I think giving every child maximum protection is the way to go. Detecting meningitis early is very difficult and by the time it is detected, it may already be too late.”
Parents may want to pay for their children’s vaccinations, she adds. A vaccine that protects against the four strains of meningococci A, C, W and Y can be bought privately in the UK for £50. Simon Nadel, adviser in pediatric critical care at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, says monitoring cases of illness caused by Men C is “key” so that action can be taken quickly when numbers start to rise. He adds: “I share the concerns of the charities. Fortunately, we can monitor it very well.”
A mother whose seven-week-old baby died of meningitis less than 24 hours after being ill has expressed displeasure with the plans. The night before he died, Myles King went to sleep like a typical healthy baby. He woke up at midnight agitated and restless, but had no temperature, said his mother Natalie, 40, a police officer who lives in Chobham, Surrey. She drove him to the emergency room at 6:00 a.m. when Myles started making a growling sound. She says: “We were seen quickly and the doctor immediately started antibiotics. But a rash just started spreading over his body.” Myles was admitted to Southampton Children’s Hospital for specialist care, but his organs began to fail and he died the same afternoon. His death in 2015 was caused by MenB bacteria, known as the deadliest form, not MenC.
Natalie, who lives with her husband Mark, 49, and their children Tristan, nine, and Elliott, five, added: “Myles was a happy, healthy baby and it was shocking how quickly he got sick.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
