Public Health England (PHE) has announced the start of the new MenACWY vaccination programme, which will offer teenagers protection against meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by four meningococcal strains including MenW.
GPs will be inviting teenagers aged 17 and 18 (born between 1 September 1996 and 31 August 1997) for the vaccine. First time university entrants from 19 to 24 years of age inclusive should also contact their GP for the vaccination.
The vaccine is being introduced in response to a rapidly growing increase in cases of a highly aggressive strain of meningococcal disease, group W. Cases of MenW have been increasing year-onyear, from 22 cases in 2009 to 117 in 2014. It is responsible for around a quarter of all laboratoryconfirmed meningococcal cases in England.
In March 2015, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed the outbreak in detail and concluded that this increase was likely to continue in future years unless action is taken, and advised that 14 to 18 year olds should be immunised against meningococcal group W (MenW). The vaccination programme was announced in June.
As well as MenW, the vaccination also protects against other forms of the disease – meningococcal disease types A, C and Y – which can also be fatal or cause long-term complications for those affected.
