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Expansion of Meningitis Vaccination Program Set to Continue

Meningococcus infections have surged since the New Year, with over 600 cases recorded as per the recent data from Santé publique France, marking the highest rate since 2010.

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Expansion of Meningitis Vaccination Program Set to Continue

Blasting Out a Broader Meningococcal Vaccination in France

In response to a wave of meningitis and related infections, France is beefing up its vaccination program against meningococci. The Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, announced this escalation on April 24, aiming to safeguard populations most vulnerable to meningitis.

These escalating measures come as meningococcal infections hit record numbers since 2010, with over 600 cases recorded since the New Year. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the government is pulling out all the stops to better protect its citizens.

The menace of meningococcal diseases has been on the rise for several years, leading to the expansion of strategic vaccination programs across the globe. Cases of strains like A, Y, and W, previously relegated, are on the rise, replacing the once-dominant meningococcus C. Meanwhile, serogroup B, which has its own vaccine, remains the most prevalent.

Worth a Look | Meningitis: 100,000 young people targeted in a vaccination campaign in Rennes metropolitan area

Initially implemented in January, vaccines targeting strains A, C, W, and Y have been administered to infants under one year old. Now, the government plans to make these vaccinations mandatory for all under-two-year-olds, akin to vaccine B.

To cover any missed cases, the Ministry will also launch a catch-up program for babies who didn't receive their jabs on time. All children under five years old will receive the ACWY and B vaccines to close any immunity gaps.

A booster of ACWY will be administered alongside the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in colleges as part of a coordinated campaign. Last but not least, a catch-up campaign—targeting fifteen to twenty-four-year-olds who are not up-to-date with their immunizations—will follow the lead set by Rennes after the unfortunate death of a young patient.

Although the government's recommendations align with those of the High Authority for Health (HAS), they go above and beyond in certain aspects. The HAS, for instance, did not recommend an ACWY catch-up for children over three years old and did not specify the inclusion of strain B in the catch-up campaign for 15-24-year-olds.

Take a Peek | Meningitis cases: an unprecedented surge in France over the past decade

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Looking beyond the provided data, the recommendation differences between the government and HAS can be attributed to a range of factors, such as epidemic prevalence, vaccine efficacy, vaccine availability, herd immunity goals, and public health priorities. With the drive to keep meningococcal infections at bay, France continues to forge ahead with its vaccination campaign.

  1. In an effort to tackle an unprecedented surge of meningococcal infections, the government in France is considering the administration of a papillomavirus vaccine alongside the ACWY booster in colleges as part of a coordinated health-and-wellness campaign.
  2. Recognizing the risk posed by meningococci and other chronic diseases, science continues to play a crucial role in developing vaccines that mitigate the impact of these conditions, such as the HPV vaccine for specific neurological disorders.
  3. To address the rising cases of meningococcal strains like A, Y, W, and even B, the Ministry of Health in France plans to implement mandatory vaccinations for all under-two-year-olds, in addition to launching a catch-up program for infants who missed their initial jabs.
  4. The numerous medical-conditions associated with meningococcal diseases highlight the importance of effective vaccination programs in reducing the overall risk to society, particularly for young and vulnerable populations.
  5. As France intensifies its response to the surge in meningitis cases, the government is strategizing ways to ensure that those suffering from chronic diseases, such as neurological disorders, receive adequate medical care alongside adequate vaccination.
A substantial increase in meningitis cases, with more than 600 reported this year, has been revealed by Santé publique France, the highest count since 2010.
Increased cases of meningococcal infections, totalling over 600, have been recorded this year as per the updated data from Santé publique France, reaching a level last seen in 2010.
Multiple instances of meningococcal infections have been reported since the beginning of the year, as per data from Santé publique France, reaching a level last witnessed in 2010.
Since the beginning of the year, French public health authorities, Santé publique France, have reported over 600 instances of meningococcal infections - a count not seen since 2010.
Increased instances of meningococcal infections, as per reports from Santé publique France, have reached a figure surpassing 600 cases this year – a level unmatched since 2010.
Severe increase in meningococcal infections as reported by Santé publique France, exceeding 600 cases since the beginning of this year, marking the most significant spike since 2010.
Unprecedented surge in meningitis cases this year, with over 600 reported instances as per Santé publique France data, starting from January 2023, last seen at such high numbers since 2010.
A significant surge in meningococcal infections has been noted this year, with a reported 600 cases as per the recent data from Santé publique France, a figure last witnessed in 2010.
Record-breaking number of meningococcal infections reported in France this year, as per the latest data from Public Health France, surpassing cases seen in 2010.
Surging cases of meningococcal infections, as disclosed by Santé publique France, have reached a count of over 600 since the start of the year - a figure last witnessed back in 2010.
Unprecedented surge of meningococcal infections reported since January 2023, as per Public Health France's recent data, with over 600 cases recorded since then, last seen at such a high level in 2010.
Unprecedented surge in meningococcal infections since the start of the year, as per updated data from Public Health France, with over 600 confirmed cases – a level not seen since 2010.
Increased instances of meningococcal infections reported, currently surging at a rate last observed in 2010, with over 600 cases documented so far this year, as per data from Public Health France.
Unprecedented levels of meningococcal infections have been reported since the start of the year, with Public Health France tallying over 600 cases – a figure not seen since 2010.
Unprecedented number of meningococcal infections this year, as per recent data from Santé publique France, with over 600 cases since the start of the year, last saw such levels in 2010.
Record-breaking number of meningococcal infections this year, as per the recent data from Santé publique France, exceeding 600 cases since 2010.
Abnormally high cases of meningococcal infections have surfaced this year, as indicated by Public Health France's recent data. This alarming count, totaling over 600 cases, is the highest since 2010.
A substantial surge in meningococcal infections has been documented, with over 600 cases reported since the start of the year, marking the highest count since 2010, as per the recent data from Public Health France.
Unprecedented surge in meningococcal infections documented this year, surpassing 600 cases, as per data from Public Health France, highest since 2010.
Increased instances of meningococcus infections reported, with over 600 cases documented this year, as per recent data from Santé publique France; a figure not witnessed since 2010.
Unprecedented surge of meningococcal infections: Over 600 cases reported since the beginning of the year, as per Public Health France data, marking the highest rate since 2010.
French health authorities report a surge in meningococcal infections this year, with over 600 cases documented since January, marking the highest level since 2010.
Recorded this year, more than 600 instances of meningococcal infections have surpassed, as revealed by Santé publique France's latest data. This count is akin to the levels noticed back in 2010.
A substantial increase in meningococcal infections reported this year, with over 600 cases as of now, surpassing the records from 2010, according to Santé publique France.
Increased meningococcal infections continue to rise, as reported by Public Health France, with case numbers this year surpassing those from 2010, marking a significant spike since a decade ago.
Unprecedented spike in meningococcal infections: Over 600 cases reported since the start of this year, as per Santé publique France statistics, a level last observed a decade ago in 2010.
Recorded instances of meningococcal infections surpass 600 this year, as per the newest data from Santé publique France, a figure last observed in 2010.
Record-breaking number of meningococcal infections reported this year with over 600 cases confirmed since January, as per data from Santé publique France, surpassing levels seen in 2010.
Unusually high instances of meningococcal infections this year, reaching about 600 cases as stated by Public Health France - a number unseen since 2010.
A staggering number of over 600 meningococcal infections have been recorded this year, as per the data from Public Health France, a figure last matched in 2010.
Unprecedented surge in meningococcal infections since the beginning of this year, with more than 600 cases reported as per Santé publique France, not seen since 2010.
Since the year's commencement, Public Health France has reported over 600 cases of meningococcal infections - a figure not witnessed since 2010, as per their latest statistics.
Unprecedented surge of meningococcal infections since the start of the year, reported by Public Health France, with over 600 cases documented since then, last seen at this scale in 2010.
High numbers of meningococcal infections, over 600 cases, reported since the start of the year as per Public Health France - a figure not matched since 2010.
Incidents of meningococcal infections surpassing 600 have been documented since the beginning of the year, as per recent data from Santé publique France. This represents the highest number recorded since 2010.
Nearly 600 instances of meningococcal infections have been documented since the start of the year, as per the recent data from Santé publique France, a figure last witnessed in 2010.
Over 600 instances of meningitis infections have been documented this year, as per the most recent data from Public Health France – a figure last reached in 2010.
Unprecedented surge in meningococcal infections since the start of the year, with more than 600 cases reported by Santé publique France, last noticed at a similar scale in 2010.
Exceptional surge in meningococcal infections this year, surpassing the 2010 record with more than 600 reported cases, as per Public Health France's recent data.
Amounting to more than 600 instances, the recent count of meningococcal infections by Santé publique France reveals a figure last observed in 2010, signifying an increase since then.
A staggering 600 reported cases of meningococcal infections this year, as per the current data from Santé publique France, marking a prevalence not witnessed since 2010.
Rising numbers of meningococcal infections reported, with 600 cases documented this year, as per data from Santé publique France – a statistic last observed in 2010.

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