Balmis insists on prevention to stop meningococcal meningitis

On the occasion of World Immunization Week, held by the World Health Organization and celebrated until April 30, the Balmis Vaccine Institute insists on the need to promote and strengthen the prevention of meningococcal meningitis through vaccination in order to “beat meningitis by 2030.”

According to the latest epidemiological bulletin of the Carlos III Institute of Health, in 2024, cases of meningococcal meningitis in Spain increased by 35% compared to 2023, mainly due to group B meningococcus, a trend that has been observed for the last three years after a decline caused by Covid containment measures -19. “The easing of these measures has led to a gradual increase in the number of serious invasive diseases caused by meningococcus, especially sepsis and meningitis,” emphasized Dr. Francisco Jiménez Sánchez, director of the Balmis Vaccine Institute.

Meningococcal infection can cause septic symptoms (generalized infection) and severe meningitis. “Despite early diagnosis and adequate treatment, the mortality rate of this disease reaches 10%, and up to 25% of survivors may suffer irreversible consequences,” Jimenez recalled. There are currently effective vaccines against meningococci group B, the most common, and against groups A, C, W and Y, which are less common but also have significant mortality.