France boosts meningitis vaccinations to fight rise in deadly infections
France has expanded its vaccination programme against meningococcal disease from 1 January in response to a rise in cases, particularly among children and teenagers who are more vulnerable to severe forms of meningitis.
The move aims to combat infections caused by meningococcal bacteria, which can lead to bacterial meningitis – a highly contagious and potentially deadly illness.
Bacterial meningitis presents symptoms such as high fever and stiff neck and can result in rapid death if untreated.
Even with treatment, it has a 10 percent mortality rate and can cause long-term complications such as amputation, cognitive impairments and deafness.
Meningococci, the bacteria responsible, spread easily among individuals, making vaccination critical to prevent an epidemic.
The extension of the vaccination drive comes as the French Ministry of Health aims to enhance protection for infants against the infections amid a resurgence of cases in recent years.
This increase is partially attributed to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, which inadvertently reduced exposure to meningococcal disease and led to lower vaccination rates.
From January to November 2024, more than 500 cases of meningococcal disease were reported in France, the highest in over two decades and slightly up from 2023.
Health authorities are also concerned about changes in the prevalence of meningococcal strains.
Read more on RFI English
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