The High Authority for Health (HAS) recommends that France do more to counter the resurgence of meningitis. Vaccination against this disease, currently compulsory in infants only for one family of bacteria, must become more widely, she ruled on Wednesday.
“If the implementation of barrier measures during the Covid-19 crisis has allowed a notable drop in these infections, the latest data shows a resumption of the circulation of meningococci in France,” underlines the HAS.
A fatal infection one in ten
Meningitis are particularly serious infections of the brain and spinal cord. They are fatal one time in ten and, the rest of the time, often cause significant neurological sequelae. They are most often caused by a virus, but also sometimes by bacteria, called meningococci. Faced with these, vaccination is possible, but it is complicated by the existence of many different groups of meningococci.
Currently, vaccination is only obligatory for those under one year of age for group C meningococci, even if it is also strongly recommended for group B. However, “serogroups W and Y have progressed significantly, particularly among infants. and young people,” explains the HAS, highlighting in particular the very deadly nature of meningococcal W infections.
Consequently, the authority now recommends making vaccination of children under one year of age compulsory against meningococci A, B, W and Y, as well as C. Vaccination would be carried out with a single vaccine – in two doses – for the four strains A, C, W and Y, and another for strain B.
“The government will follow this advice”
The HAS has also amended its recommendations for older children, even if this time it is not a question of moving to an obligation. Currently, only vaccination against meningococci C is recommended up to the age of 24, but only if it did not take place when the patient was a baby. From now on, for meningococci A, C, W and Y, a new dose is recommended for 11-14 year olds, even if they would have been vaccinated at less than one year old. On the other hand, the HAS still does not recommend the meningococcal B vaccine in adolescents and young adults, deeming infections linked to this strain too rare in this age group.
The Minister responsible for Health and Prevention Frédéric Valletoux indicated that “the government will follow this opinion” from the HAS and that it will specify “in the coming days the modalities for implementing this recommendation”.