Meningococcal disease: everything you need to know

Nevertheless, it is important to delve into it, because it is a severe infectious disease that can cause a lot of damage, especially in (young) children. That is why we summarize the most important questions.

What is meningococcal disease?

An infectious disease caused by a bacterium called meningococcus. You can get meningitis or blood poisoning and even go into shock and die. So serious. There are various types (serogroups) of the bacterium, of which serogroup B causes most cases of disease in the Netherlands. Meningococci C, W and Y were also relatively common, but children are now vaccinated against this in the National Immunization Programme. Children under the age of five and teenagers are especially at risk for developing meningococcal disease.

What are the first symptoms?

In the beginning there are often some flu-like symptoms but these can become very serious in no time with a high fever. Meningitis can develop, with headache, confusion and vomiting. Stiffness of the neck is also one of the characteristics of this. It is then difficult to bend the neck forward. In babies, this manifests itself in pain and crying when you lift the legs while changing.

Blood poisoning can also occur. Characteristic of this are small purplish spots over the body.

What are the long-term consequences?

Brain damage can occur, which can lead to, for example, epilepsy, concentration problems and deafness. Meningococcal disease can also lead to death.

What should you do if you recognize the features?

Call the doctor. The sooner it is treated – often with antibiotics – the better.

Are children vaccinated against meningococci?

For the most part, yes. They are protected by the National Immunization Program against types A, C, W and Y. This happens when they are fourteen months and fourteen years old. Children are not (yet) routinely vaccinated against meningococcal B. There is a separate vaccination for this that is not (yet) included in the National Vaccination Programme.

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Why is there no vaccination against type B yet?

At the end of 2018, the Health Council issued an advisory report on the vaccination against Meningococcal B. This advisory report states that it is not yet known whether the vaccine works well and for how long, and that the vaccine can cause a high fever. In addition, the costs would be very high in relation to the number of cases of disease that people thought could be prevented with vaccination. That is why the State Secretary then decided not to include this vaccination in the National Vaccination Programme. Whether meningococcal B will be included in the program in the future will be discussed in the second half of this year. On Meningococcal B vaccination | RIVM provides more information on this subject.

What about in other countries?

In some other countries, meningococcal B vaccination is already recommended in young children, namely in Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. In Canada and Portugal this is also recommended for children between the ages of 10 and 14.

Is meningococcus common in the Netherlands?

There were 159 cases of illness in the Netherlands in 2019. Sometimes there is an increase for a number of years, then there is a decrease again. Since 2001, the number of meningococcal disease cases has fallen from 719 to 159, mainly due to the introduction of meningococcal vaccination in the National Immunization Programme. The B variant is most common in young children up to the age of five. According to the RIVM, the number of meningococcal B cases may increase again in the future. In 2019, 45% of all cases of meningococcal disease were caused by meningococcal B. A total of 72 cases were reported.

Source: The National Immunization Program in the Netherlands | November 2020 (rivm.nl)

Can you have your child vaccinated against meningococcal B yourself?

Because the vaccination against meningococcal B is not part of the National Immunization Programme, you can choose to have your child vaccinated from two months of age. You will have to pay the costs for this yourself. You can go to your GP, GGD or a (traveler’s) vaccination center. There are two different vaccinations; one can be used with young children, the other only from 10 years. The vaccinations consist of two or three shots, depending on the age of your child, and cost between two and three hundred euros, depending on the location.

Numbers:

• Research shows that more than half (53%) of parents think that meningococcal B vaccination is included in the National Vaccination Program, while it is not.
• Only 36 percent of parents recognize a high fever and neck stiffness as a hallmark of meningococcal disease.
• Nearly 6 in 10 parents wait too long to seek medical help after symptoms appear. – Source Kantar Public March 2021
• 40% of the 692 parents of children under 5 don’t know what meningococcal disease is or have never even heard of. – Source Kantar Public March 20218

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