What is Meningitis B? Understanding the Risks After a Confirmed Case in Reading
A student has tragically died following a meningitis outbreak in Reading, while two other young individuals are currently receiving treatment. One of the cases has been confirmed as meningitis B (MenB), the same strain responsible for several fatal cases in Kent earlier this year. This has raised concerns about the risks to young people and the importance of vaccination.
What is Meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, typically caused by bacterial or viral infections. Bacterial meningitis is less common but more severe than viral meningitis. It can affect anyone but is most prevalent in babies, children, teenagers, and young adults. If not treated promptly, meningitis can lead to life-threatening sepsis and permanent brain or nerve damage.
What is Meningitis B?
One of the bacteria causing meningitis is meningococcus, which can reside harmlessly in the throat but can cause serious illness if it enters the bloodstream or spinal fluid. Different types of this bacteria exist, with type B being the most common, often referred to as meningitis B or MenB. According to Meningitis Now, MenB is one of the leading causes of meningitis in the UK.
Is There a Vaccine?
Several meningitis vaccines are available in the UK. However, most young people born before 2015 are not protected against meningitis B unless they have received the vaccine privately. The MenB jab was introduced on the NHS for babies in 2015, with doses at eight weeks, 12 weeks, and a booster at one year. Other routine childhood vaccines, such as the 6-in-1 and pneumococcal jabs, also offer protection against meningitis. The MenACWY vaccine, a single dose protecting against four strains, was also introduced in 2015 and is offered to teenagers in school and university entrants up to age 25.
Can Young People Get the MenB Jab?
Meningitis Now has launched a campaign called 'No Plan B for MenB,' urging the NHS to vaccinate teenagers and young people against meningitis B and implement a booster programme to protect adolescents from 2030. The charity also advocates for MenB jabs to be available on the high street at a fair price. Currently, the jab is available privately, costing around £110 per dose, with a minimum of two doses required.
Why Are Young People at Risk?
According to Meningitis Now, one in four 15 to 19-year-olds carry meningococcal bacteria in the back of their throats, compared to one in ten of the general UK population. While carriers may remain symptomless, the bacteria can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, and kissing. Increased social interaction among this age group facilitates easier transmission. At universities, students are more vulnerable due to cramped living conditions in halls of residence and the mixing of individuals from diverse locations worldwide.
What Are the Symptoms of Meningitis?
Symptoms of meningitis and sepsis can include a high temperature, cold hands and feet, vomiting, confusion, muscle and joint pain, pale or mottled skin, a rash, headache, stiff neck, aversion to bright lights, extreme sleepiness, and seizures. Symptoms may appear in any order, and some may not manifest at all.
How Is Meningitis Treated?
The NHS recommends hospital treatment for all cases of bacterial meningitis. Treatments include intravenous antibiotics and fluids, oxygen for breathing difficulties, and occasionally steroids to reduce brain swelling. Patients may require hospital stays ranging from a few days to weeks. For mild viral meningitis, patients may be sent home if tests confirm the diagnosis, as it typically resolves on its own within seven to ten days. However, severe viral meningitis may also necessitate hospital care.
