There are key questions about how well the meningitis vaccine will work - but still there is no need to panic | Devi Sridhar

2026-03-17 - 17:20

After two deaths, it’s right to be concerned and to discuss investment in public health. But our system is good and it’s working Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh With the tragedy of two young people dying, and a further 13 confirmed cases, meningitis is back in the headlines in the UK, prompting public concern and worry about the risk. What’s happening and why? Meningitis has been an ongoing public health concern for decades. Back in the 1990s, around 2,500 lab-confirmed cases of meningococcal disease were recorded annually, largely caused by meningococcal group C bacteria – the disease is caused by a range of bacterial strains, each of which require a different targeted vaccine to prepare the immune system. With the adoption of the MenC vaccine in 1999, cases of group C disease fell by around 96% to roughly 30-40 cases per year. Soon after, vaccination programmes were expanded to cover groups ACWY, which caused steep declines in all of those groups, because the vaccines reduce the transmission of infections. Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading...