The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7499 p499
26 April 2008

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Vaccine protects under 19-year-olds from dying from meningitis C

For the first time last year nobody under the age of 19 years died as a result of meningitis C infection.

This reflects the success of the Government’s vaccination programme, says a report published this week by the Department of Health.

In previous years the infection has been responsible for around 78 deaths in this age group, the report by the director of immunisation David Salisbury reveals.

Cases of meningitis C in children have fallen by 95 per cent since the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine was introduced in 1999. This has prevented more than 500 deaths in young people, the report claims.

Parents are also regaining confidence in the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. Some 73 per cent of parents questioned last November said they believe the vaccine to be safe compared with 63 per cent in 2003, the report reveals.

According to the document, the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2006 has so far prevented serious illness or death in an estimated 470 cases.