Vaccination against meningitis becomes compulsory: what does this change ?

Fr&déric Valletoux, the delegate ministeré charged of Health and Prevention, announced this Friday, April 26, that vaccination against meningitis would become compulsory for infants on January 1, 2025.

A new vaccine for infants. Vaccination against infections à meningococci for newborns is getting ready to start. become obligatory à from 2025, announced&eac; Fr&déric Valletoux, the delegate ministeré charged of Health and Prevention, Friday April 26. This announcement, made with Santé public France, took place à on the occasion of European Vaccination Week which takes place from April 22 to 28. The obligation will come into force from from next January 1 "after the publication of the regulatory texts", specifiedé the minister.

This decision by the health authorities was expected and follows the recommendations of the High Authority. health who defended the expansion of immunization of very young children against several bacterial strains. In particular, ningococci, these bacteria which are transmitted through close contact, most often through saliva or droplets. Among the serious illnesses that these bacteria can cause is meningitis, but also septicemia.

A vaccination has already been completed highly recommended

Until'à Currently, only vaccination against meningococci of strain C has been compulsory in infants since 2018. But from January 1, 2025, children will have to   Also be vaccinated against other strains of meningococci: A, B, W and Y. Newborns should receive two doses of a so-called “travalent” vaccine targeting strains A, C, W and Y, one at six months, then the other at six months. twelve months.

Concerning meningococci of strain B, a vaccination of three doses at three months then   five and twelve months must have been observed. This vaccination was until now strongly recommended since June 2022 by health authorities for infants. And the proportion of infants vaccinated, even without obligation, has already increased. progress&eac; in one year going from almost 50% à 75%. The vaccination obligation should, however, make it possible to increase this figure to up to 100%. 95%.

In France, since January 1, 2018, 11 vaccines are compulsory for children aged 0 to 12 years old. 2 years. These are whooping cough, MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, meningococcus C, diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis.

Why make vaccination compulsory ?

It's the resurgence of infections meningococci affecting children which has grown into the High Authority health authorities, then other health authorities. make the vaccine compulsory. "We are seeing an increase in invasive infections among babies. meningococci, in particular with strains other than C", effectively indicated Brigitte Virey, president of the National Union of French Pediatricians, reports Le Parisien. The HAS underlined in its opinion that “if the implementation of barrier measures during the Covid-19 crisis  has allowed a notable drop in these infections, the latest dataè These show a resumption of the circulation of meningococci in France. And add: "Serogroups W and Y have made significant progress, particularly among infants and young people."