Meningococcal disease constitutes any illness caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. There are 13 known sub-types (serogroups) and of these, 5 are currently vaccine preventable (B and A, C, W, Y).
Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) can cause meningitis (inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord) and septicaemia (infection in the blood), as well as other infections like pneumonia (lung infection), arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and conjunctivitis (eye infection). Mortality (death) can be as high as 5-10% with permanent lifelong complications occurring in 10-20% of those who survive.
Individuals with specified medical conditions that increase the risk of IMD are recommended and funded to receive additional meningococcal vaccines and booster doses.
Our immunisation reference page has recently been updated to include:
- updated MenACWY vaccine recommendations for high-risk individuals
- updated MenB vaccine recommendations for high-risk individuals.
To view the updated page in full, refer to the link below: