British Government Adviser Proposes Meningitis B Vaccine for 15-Year-Olds

Illustration of adolescent vaccination. British health advisers have proposed that the meningitis B vaccine is given routinely around the age of 15. Illustration photo: Pexels.

JAKARTA - The British government's health adviser recommends that meningitis B vaccines be routinely given to teenagers around the age of 15. The proposal comes after a series of outbreaks, including cases in Kent that killed two teenagers.

The Independent, quoted on Friday, July 17, said the recommendation was issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation or JCVI. The policy is still awaiting approval from the British government.

JCVI recommends booster doses for adolescents who received meningitis B vaccines as infants. This recommendation applies to children born on or after May 1, 2015. The first group will be 15 years old in 2030.

Teenagers who did not receive the vaccine as infants will be offered two doses around the age of 15.

JCVI also supports giving two doses to children born on or before April 30, 2015. The group had previously not received the meningitis B vaccine through the UK's national health service, the NHS, as babies.

JCVI also requested a follow-up program because the implementation of this routine policy may not be done immediately. This step is necessary so that adolescents who are missed still get the vaccine.

The proposal is separate from the previously announced summer vaccination program and is still underway.

Around one million Year 13 students or final year of secondary school in England as well as those under 25 and starting university in the autumn are offered the meningitis B vaccine through the NHS.

The one-time special vaccination program includes adolescents aged 17 to 18 years and those who will pursue higher education or residential further education.

The first dose was offered starting July 20, while the second dose was given in August. According to the JCVI, two doses with a minimum interval of 28 days are required to obtain full protection from the vaccination.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can include high fever, cold hands and feet, vomiting, rapid breathing, pale skin, or a rash.

Rashes can be more difficult to see on dark-skinned people. In infants, symptoms can also include fussiness, high-pitched crying, stiff or limp bodies, and protruding ears.

NHS meminta siapa pun yang mencurigai meningitis segera mencari pertolongan medis. Masyarakat diminta tidak menunggu seluruh gejala atau ruam muncul.

The outbreak in Canterbury, Kent, is the largest and fastest growing in the UK. A number of smaller clusters of cases in young people have also been reported to be larger than expected.

Juliette Kenny, 18, was among those killed in the outbreak. Her family later campaigned for teenagers and young people to have regular access to the meningitis B vaccine.

The risk of transmission increases through close and prolonged contact, including in dormitories, shared houses, and social events. Cases usually peak in October to November.

The Independent said the data showed the meningitis B vaccine provided strong protection for at least five years after vaccination.

JCVI Chairman Wei Shen Lim asked those who are eligible to make vaccination appointments immediately so that two doses can be given before going to college.

"For protection, two doses of meningitis B vaccine are needed with a minimum interval of 28 days," he said.

Shamez Ladhani, an epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, previously said the increase in the number of cases this year was likely related to low community immunity to meningitis B.

According to Ladhani, meningococcal disease moves in a 20 to 30-year cycle. Cases can increase again when community immunity decreases and new strains emerge that do not have adequate immune protection in the community.