Study: giving meningitis vaccine to teenagers helps protect all age groups

A University of Oxford study has found giving a meningitis vaccine to 14 to 19-year-olds helps protect all ages.

The vaccine was given to teenagers as this is where transmission of the meningococcal bacteria is known to be highest and could generate herd protection, or herd immunity.

Researchers found the vaccine substantially reduced carriage of the W and Y meningococcal groups, which cause the disease, and sustained low levels of the C group. Findings have been published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

They took throat swabs and assessed the prevalence of meningitis causing bacteria before and after the introduction of the vaccination programme in two studies conducted almost four years apart. 

More than 24,000 teenagers took part, including more than 2,000 at schools in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

One of the lead authors, Matthew Snape, who was Professor in Paediatrics and Vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group during the study, said: “The results show us that by immunising teenagers with MenACWY vaccines we not only protect them directly, but also reduce the risk of all others in the community suffering from meningitis and sepsis due to these bacteria.

“Immunising teenagers rather than infants means we get more benefit out of each dose given. These two studies therefore provide invaluable data to help us use these vaccines effectively, both in the UK and internationally.”

The researchers compared two studies, the UKMenCar4 study, conducted September 2014 to March 2015 before the MenACWY vaccine was introduced, and the Be on the TEAM study, conducted March 2018 to November 2018 after the vaccine was introduced.

In 2015, responding to rising rates of meningitis cases driven by the W and Y strains from 2009 onwards, the UK replaced a vaccine targeting only the C group, introduced in 1999, with vaccines for the A,C,W and Y strains, known as MenACWY. 

The findings align with data from the UK showing the incidence of MenW disease has fallen in all age groups since the teenage MenACWY vaccine campaign. 

Taken together these data provide strong evidence for the need to target age groups with high rates of meningococcal transmission to make most effective use of these vaccines, and not necessarily immunising other age groups at high risk, add the researchers.

For more information visit the University of Oxford website.