Kent meningitis outbreak prompts rush for routine vaccinations in England | Vaccines and immunisation

School vaccination services and pharmacies are reporting increasing demand for routine vaccines following the Kent meningitis outbreak, in which two teenagers died.

Thousands of teenagers across England have booked or received vaccinations in the last fortnight against meningitis A, C, W and Y strains (MenACWY), as well as diphtheria, polio and tetanus (Td/IPV).

Experts said the increase in vaccination was a small silver lining to the meningitis B outbreak, which also left 18 people in hospital. The latest figures show that only 72% of 9th graders received MenACWY or Td/IPV booster vaccinations in the 2024-25 school year, well below the recommended 95%.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have reported increasing demand for routine Year 9 vaccines across England.

NPA President Olivier Picard said: “While this largely relates to MenB vaccinations, we have also seen a significant increase in demand for MenACWY among adolescents who have not received their first vaccine from the NHS.

“An unintended but encouraging consequence of this outbreak is that more and more patients and their parents are consulting their vaccination records to catch up on those they missed. »

RCGP President, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, said: “The recent meningitis outbreak has shocked us all, but it is reassuring to see more and more families adopting routine vaccinations for their children.

“General practice teams and school immunization services are already seeing increased interest and inquiries in certain areas, and are working hard to ensure all eligible children can access these vaccines.

Areas reporting increased demand for routine Year 9 vaccines include Hertfordshire and the East of England counties of Greater Manchester, Berkshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, Wiltshire and Surrey.

The Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, which offers vaccines in schools across the county and the east of England, said as many as 1,750 teenagers received routine vaccinations on March 21 and 22 alone.

The trust’s deputy director of child health and immunization, Caroline Shepherd, said: “Our community and school immunization service has received more than 2,000 calls from residents across the east of England who are concerned about the recent cases of meningitis reported in Kent and are seeking advice on vaccination.

NHS Greater Manchester said its school vaccination provider, Intrahealth, had reported a 40% increase in parental consents received compared to an average week. A spokesperson also said the trust had heard anecdotally of more young people contacting GPs to check their vaccination status or arrange catch-up vaccinations.

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said there was a notable increase in demand across the county for its adolescent vaccination program between March 16 and 18, when more than 780 phone calls were answered, significantly above its usual weekly average of 150, and more than 1,200 emails were sent.

A spokesperson said parental consent for routine adolescent vaccination in Berkshire had fallen from 90% to just under 92%. “Demand for vaccination appointments has also increased, with 560 bookings now confirmed for upcoming clinics,” they said.

The trust’s senior immunization nurse, Charlotte Church, said: “The recent meningitis outbreak has reminded many parents of the vital role routine immunizations play in protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

“We have seen a marked increase in the number of parents coming forward to ensure their children are fully vaccinated, particularly for the ACWY Year 9 meningitis vaccine, as well as the fifth and final dose protecting against tetanus, diphtheria and polio. »

The HRCG Care Group, which provides school vaccinations in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, Wiltshire and Surrey, has also reported higher demand for routine vaccines.

Responding to the findings, Saul Faust, professor of pediatric immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, said: “This data reminds us that part of the reason for the lack of vaccination is that people have forgotten how serious vaccine-preventable diseases can be due to the overall success of the program.

“It’s sad that it took a serious outbreak to remind people of the importance of all vaccines for the health of infants, children and adolescents, but it’s great that the rates are improving. Our challenge now is how to maintain higher rates without the diseases returning.”

NHS England director of immunization Michelle Kane said: “It is encouraging to see that parents are responding to the outbreak by coming forward and asking for advice on vaccinating their teenagers in some areas.

“While we don’t want people to be overly concerned, we strongly encourage all families to consent to their children receiving the NHS MenACWY vaccine in Year 9, which protects against four types of bacteria that can cause meningitis and septicemia – and to come forward when they are invited to receive other vaccines that offer life-saving protection.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said: “Meningitis can be fatal, as we saw so tragically during the outbreak in Canterbury and my thoughts remain with the friends and families of the two people who died.

“Nearly 11,000 Meningitis B vaccines have been provided to Canterbury following the outbreak and I am pleased that parents are doing all they can to take up the offer of a MenACWY vaccine for these Year 9 students.

“For too long we have seen declining vaccination rates and I hope more people will heed the warnings of meningitis victims and urge everyone to protect their children from serious illness. »