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UK health experts have put forward new recommendations suggesting that all teenagers around the age of 15 should receive the meningitis B (MenB) vaccine free of charge. This marks a shift from previous guidance, prompted by concerns stemming from the largest and fastest-growing outbreak of MenB recorded earlier this year in Kent.
In response to this outbreak, health authorities have already initiated a one-time vaccination campaign across the UK during the summer. This campaign primarily targets young people beginning university for the first time and certain other groups at increased risk. Meanwhile, advisory bodies are urging the government to consider routinely offering MenB vaccinations to secondary school-aged children, aiming to provide better protection against this potentially fatal disease.
Decisions about whether to fund and implement universal MenB vaccination programs through the NHS will rest with government ministers in each UK nation. It is expected that individuals receiving the vaccine would not incur any cost. Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), emphasized the severity of meningococcal disease, describing it as “a rare but very serious illness, which can have a devastating impact on lives.” He also acknowledged the valuable input from meningitis charities and those affected by the disease, whose experiences have been taken into consideration during the advisory process.
The MenB infection can lead to severe conditions such as meningitis, which is inflammation of the brain’s lining, and sepsis, a serious blood infection. Survivors may face lasting disabilities including amputations, hearing loss, or brain damage, and in some cases, the disease can be fatal. Currently, two doses of the vaccine are required for optimal protection. Although babies born after 1 July 2015 routinely receive the MenB vaccine through the NHS childhood immunisation schedule, older children, teenagers, and young adults over 11 years of age have generally not been vaccinated. Since the recent outbreak, some parents have chosen to purchase the vaccine privately for their teenage children to provide protection
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