Meningitis vaccination uptake welcomed by College

RCGP welcomes increased demand for routine vaccinations after meningitis outbreak

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

“The recent Meningitis outbreak has shocked us all, but it’s reassuring that we are seeing more families take up routine vaccinations for their children.

While the situation remains concerning, any increase in uptake of these vital immunisation programmes is a positive step in helping to protect young people and prevent further cases of serious illness.

“Vaccinations such as the Year 9 Td/IPV and MenACWY jabs offer important protection against life-threatening diseases, including meningitis. High uptake is essential to help reduce the risk of spread within schools and communities. General practice teams and school immunisation services are already seeing increased interest and enquiries in some areas, and are working hard to ensure all eligible children can access these vaccines.

“The NHS childhood vaccination programme has been one of the great successes of modern medicine, and vaccines are one of the most important ways we can protect children and young people. We’d encourage all parents to check their child’s vaccination record and, if they’ve missed any routine jabs, to come forward as soon as possible.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659

press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.