Expert voices: Rethinking MenB vaccination strategy in England
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Expert voices: Rethinking MenB vaccination strategy in England
Beyond outbreak control: Rethinking MenB vaccination strategy in England
Independent clusters in Kent and Reading demonstrate the need for proactive national coverage
Published on 19 May 2026
by Dr Hamid A. Merchant, Head of Department for Biosciences
Another outbreak of Meningococcal Disease (a bacterial infection which leads to Meningitis) has been reported in Reading, where a college student has tragically died and additional young people are receiving hospital treatment.
This cluster, emerging shortly after the Kent and Canterbury outbreak, involving an epidemiologically unrelated strain of Meningitis B (MenB) to that of Kent, highlights the unpredictable and geographically dispersed nature of meningococcal disease nationwide. It reinforces the urgent need to move beyond reactive, regional responses toward a coordinated national catch-up vaccination strategy.
Head of Department for Biosciences
The flaw in short-term shielding and regional-only responses
The targeted MenB vaccination program highlights the need for both immediate outbreak control and prevention in the local community. While the antibiotics provided offer immediate protection from the current threat, their efficacy is short-lived, so a combination approach is far more effective, as vaccines will offer protection long after the antibiotics have left the system.
It is argued that while immediate antibiotic interventions and regional vaccine drives was a reasonable response to the outbreak, the most effective way to safeguard young people is by addressing the gaps in the long-term and providing widespread protection by addressing MenB vaccine gaps among adolescents nationally.
This raises a broader question: why is the MenB catch-up vaccine not being offered to all eligible students nationwide? While Reading, Kent and Canterbury are the current priority, historically, MenB has been a recurring threat across all regions. We must protect all vulnerable adolescents, not just those in the immediate path of a known outbreak.
The data: a geographically unpredictable threat
The number of Meningococcal deaths in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 29 years has varied in recent years. In 2022, there were three deaths, in 2023 it rose to five deaths and in 2024 it went back down to three.
Figure 1. Meningococcal deaths (A39) across England among adolescent and young adults aged 15 to 29 years. The figure plotted using data from ONS (nomis dashboard), dated: 17th March 2025.
In fact, the historic data highlights the limitations of a regional-only approach: for instance, all three 15–29-year-old meningococcal deaths in 2024 occurred in the Midlands, the majority in 2023 were in the North West of England, and 2022 saw cases scattered across London, Yorkshire and the South East England. Because these tragic outcomes are geographically unpredictable yet statistically rare, a more pragmatic strategy would be to implement an immediate national catch-up programme. Notably, the regions with highest number of deaths recorded over the last decade are London, the Midlands, and North West of England – for which none have been offered an MenB vaccine catch up.
A phased approach to national rollout and the need for equitable protection
MenB vaccine stocks and supply chain issues seem to be a limiting factor for the national vaccine drive, however the MenB national catch-up programme in the first phase should be focused on high-risk clinical groups.
By reviewing individual cases for factors such as immunocompromised status, medication history, and comorbidities (having two or more medical conditions) or gaps in prior vaccinations, we can identify those at high risk and provide protection to all those who remain most clinically vulnerable to invasive Meningococcal Disease, regardless of where they live. As vaccine availability improves, the MenB catch-up programme could then be expanded nationally, to cover all eligible adolescents across England and guarantee timely and fair access to protection.
A reactive, region-based MenB vaccination strategy is inadequate and leaves at-risk adolescents unprotected – England needs a phased national catch-up programme to ensure equitable and effective protection for all adolescents.
Figure 2. Heat map showing unpredictable geographically dispersed nature of meningococcal deaths among adolescent and young adults aged 15 to 29 years in England over the last 10 years. The data shows all 3 meningococcal deaths in 2024 were recorded in Midlands, whereas 4 out of 5 deaths during 2023 were recorded in North West England. The regions with highest number of deaths recorded over last decade are London, Midlands, and North West England. The figure plotted using data extracted from ONS (nomis dashboard), dated: 17th March 2025. Where, E: East, M: Midlands, L: London, NE: North East, NW: North West, SE: South East, SW: South West, YH: Yorkshire & Humber.
Dr Hamid Merchant is available for interview. Please contact pressoffice@uel.ac.uk to arrange.
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