School immunisation services and pharmacies across England are reporting a surge in demand for routine vaccinations following a meningitis B outbreak in Kent that has claimed two lives and left 18 people hospitalised. The outbreak has prompted thousands of teenagers to book or receive jabs against the A, C, W and Y strains of meningitis (MenACWY), as well as diphtheria, polio and tetanus (Td/IPV).
Experts have described the increase in immunisation as a small silver lining to the outbreak, with latest figures showing that only 72% of year 9 pupils received the MenACWY or booster Td/IPV inoculations in the 2024-25 academic year, well below the recommended 95%. The Royal College of GPs and the National Pharmacy Association have reported burgeoning demand for routine year 9 inoculations across England.
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Although this has largely been for MenB vaccinations, we’ve also seen a significant uptick in demand for MenACWY among teenagers who have missed out on their initial vaccine from the NHS. An unintentional but encouraging consequence of this outbreak is that more patients and their parents are looking into their vaccine records to catch up on those that they have missed.”
Areas reporting increased demand include Hertfordshire, counties across the east of England, Greater Manchester, Berkshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, Wiltshire and Surrey. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust reported that as many as 1,750 teenagers received routine vaccinations on 21 and 22 March alone, while its school-aged immunisation service received more than 2,000 calls from concerned residents seeking advice.
NHS Greater Manchester reported a 40% increase in parental consents received compared with an average week, and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust noted a rise in demand, with over 780 phone calls answered between 16 and 18 March, significantly above its usual weekly average of 150. Parental consent for routine teenage immunisation in Berkshire rose from 90% to just under 92%.
Prof Saul Faust, a paediatric immunology expert at the University of Southampton, commented: “These data remind us that part of the reason for lack of uptake of vaccines overall is that people have forgotten just how serious vaccine-preventable diseases can be due to the overall success of the programme. It is sad that it has taken a serious outbreak to remind people how important all vaccines are to infant, child and teenage health.”
