Chief Executive Dr Tom Nutt said, “Our thoughts are with both students, their families and friends, and the whole community at what will undoubtedly be an extremely worrying time.
While cases of meningitis are thankfully uncommon, meningitis can affect anyone and can become life-threatening very quickly. We would encourage people to be aware of the signs and symptoms and to seek urgent medical help if they are concerned.”
Dr Nutt added, “These cases come at an important moment for MenB vaccination policy. In July, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that a routine MenB vaccination should be offered at around 15 years of age to adolescents who received MenB vaccination as babies. It also strongly supported offering two doses of MenB vaccine to older adolescents who were not vaccinated in infancy, including as a catch-up programme.
Meningitis Now welcomes these recommendations and urges the UK Government to act on them without delay. We know that young people are at risk of meningitis, which can develop rapidly and cause devastating consequences, and we now have an opportunity to provide them with greater protection through vaccination.”
The Government has already introduced a time-limited MenB vaccination programme for eligible young people who left Year 13 this summer and those under the age of 25 years starting university or residential further education in autumn 2026. Through its ‘No Plan B for MenB’ campaign, the charity is calling for a wider adolescent programme to be implemented as quickly as possible, so that more young people can benefit from the protection offered by MenB vaccination.
We would encourage anyone with concerns about their own health or the health of someone else to contact NHS 111, or to call 999 or go to A&E immediately if they believe someone may have meningitis or sepsis.
Meningitis Now is here to provide information and support to anyone affected by meningitis. Our nurse-led Helpline can be contacted on 0808 80 10 388 or via email Helpline@meningitisnow.org
