No meningitis B vaccine catch-up planned in Ireland despite UK outbreak and deaths

A student receiving an injection at the University of Kent campus in Canterbury.

A catch-up meningitis B vaccine campaign is not currently planned for Ireland despite concerns it could be needed to protect young people here.

Some 29 suspected cases of the virulent condition have now been seen in Kent in England, including 18 confirmed cases. 

Two young people have died, the UK Health Security Agency said in its most recent update.

By Thursday evening, some 2,360 catch-up vaccinations and over 9,000 doses of antibiotics were given across Kent.

All confirmed cases so far are young adults. 

This age group missed out on vaccines as it only became part of the standard programme in 2015.

Similarly, in Ireland, the meningitis B vaccine has only been offered for babies and young children since 2016.

Dr Niamh Lynch, paediatrician at the Bon Secours hospital in Cork, said she now questions why it is not routinely offered.

“You have a cohort of people who are now coming into their teenage and university years, who are wide open and have no protection against meningitis B, although they do have protection against A, C, W and Y [strains],” she said.

“The rationale is it’s expensive, and these outbreaks are rare. But I would counter that by saying now there’s a large outbreak and people are dying.” 

She called on health authorities to reconsider vaccinating this particular cohort. 

"They’re in big lecture halls, all crowded in together, they’re in nightclubs, they’re sharing vapes, they’re close together.” 

Ms Lynch is also an author who offers advice to parents on her Instagram account. 

Answering questions on the meningitis outbreak in a video, she advised: "Ideally nobody should be vaping. It's the reality, and people do, so just don't share them." 

The HSE said on Friday that this vaccine programme is currently not recommended for teenagers by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

Dr Scott Walkin, clinical lead in infection control for the Irish College of GPs, said that up to now, there are no Irish cases linked to the Kent outbreak.

“There is no advice at the moment for a booster campaign, and there is no travel advisory advising against travel to any part of the UK,” he said.

The vaccine campaign in Kent is “mitigation” against spread as well as offering protection to students, he said.

He acknowledged the case numbers are high, however, saying: “That is an unusually large number for meningitis B.” 

It can be spread through close contact, including kissing, sharing drinks, or sharing vapes.

“It is spread through respiratory droplets. The concern is that it is being spread via saliva on the end of the vapes,” he said.

“It would be similar to sharing a glass or sharing a toothbrush.” 

Ireland has seen 12 cases of meningococcal disease this year, including nine of meningitis B. There have not been any deaths.