"Dear Secretary of State,
We are writing jointly on behalf of Meningitis Research Foundation and Meningitis Now to urge action on the clear MenB protection gap affecting teenagers and young adults. Routine NHS access to MenB vaccination should now be introduced for this age group.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by the recent outbreak of meningitis in Kent, particularly the families and friends of those who have died and those who have been seriously unwell. Through our work over many decades, we know how deeply events like this are felt by people who have experienced meningitis and the shock experienced by immediate communities and beyond. We also know the disbelief and concern that people feel that the MenB protection gap for teenagers and young adults has not been resolved despite calls for this since the successful introduction of MenB vaccination for infants in 2015.
MenB now causes the great majority of invasive meningococcal disease in people aged under 25 in England. Yet teenagers and young adults still do not have routine NHS access to MenB vaccination. That gap in protection should now be addressed through the introduction of routine MenB vaccination for this age group.
We welcome your recognition that this issue now needs to be looked at again. We believe any review must now deliver meaningful progress. It should be timely and transparent, and it should reflect the full impact of meningitis and the full value of protection. We are concerned that current JCVI processes for assessing cost effectiveness fail to take account of the full cost of this devastating disease. This means recognising not only the health benefit of direct protection, but also the significant costs of lifelong disability, bereavement, family impact, peace of mind, and wider social and economic effects.
Through our work with families, we hear repeatedly about the devastating and lasting impact meningitis can have, and the anger that better protection has not already been put in place. We believe this real-world impact must be properly reflected in the criteria used to assess vaccination policy.
We also believe government should support sustained public awareness activity so that people understand the signs and symptoms of meningitis, the vaccines available to them, and when to seek urgent medical help. Clear public awareness about MenB should form part of the wider public health response alongside vaccination, clinical care and outbreak management. As charities, we have a good track record of collaborating with UKHSA and the NHS on disease awareness. We would welcome the opportunity, and the resources, to renew this lifesaving work.
We understand that you have agreed to meet with Meningitis Now’s President, Lisa Snowdon, but we await confirmation of this meeting. We would welcome the chance to meet and discuss the urgency of vaccinating young lives against the devastation of MenB."
Dr Tom Nutt
Chief Executive Officer
Meningitis Now
Vinny Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Meningitis Research Foundation
