Before the MMR vaccine, about 1,200 people in the UK were hospitalised each year with mumps. Most of these cases had meningitis. Routine immunisation has now almost eliminated meningitis as a result of the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The Hib vaccine offers protection against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), one of the life-threatening bacterial causes of meningitis and septicaemia. It’s the first of its kind to offer effective protection to infants. In the UK it is offered to babies under one, with a catch up for children up to four. Prior to the vaccine, there were over 900 confirmed cases of Hib disease every year in England and Wales. Today Hib meningitis is rare. 

The MenC vaccine is initially offered to babies under one, and shortly after there was a catch up for those up to age 25. Before it was added to the immunisation schedule, there were nearly 1,000 cases of disease caused by meningococcal group C bacteria every year in the UK. However, cases soon fell by over 90% in all age groups immunised and there are now only a handful of cases in all age groups each year. 

The Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV), known as Pneumovax 23, is included in the vaccination schedule for people over 65. This type of vaccine uses a tiny fragment of the bacterial sugar coat to provide protection against 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria.

Ongoing disease surveillance leads to changes in the immunisation schedule. The Hib/MenC booster, is introduced for one-year-olds after research showed that protection waned during the first year of life, leading to a resurgence in cases. The booster is offered to maintain protection and keep disease levels low.

There are over 90 different strains of pneumococcal bacteria, however PCV7 marks the arrival of the first conjugate vaccine to protect against the seven most common causes of serious disease. By the following year, there had been a 90% reduction in disease caused by these types of germs in under 2’s.

Following the introduction of PCV7, ongoing surveillance identifies an increase in disease caused by strains that aren’t covered by the vaccine. PCV13 was brought in offering protection against six additional strains of the bacteria. In the following years, there was a 48% reduction in cases of pneumococcal meningitis.

Research shows teenagers, who carry the bacteria in their nose and throat, drive transmission of the bacteria in the population. MenC immunisation prevents teenagers from carrying the bacteria and the catch-up programme which was implemented in 1999 has been the key to keeping disease levels low. Babies who were immunised in 1999 were now becoming teenagers, and were no longer protected, so a MenC vaccination is offered to stop transmission and protect the whole population.

The group B strain of meningococcal bacteria is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in the UK and Ireland. But unlike most meningitis vaccines, which are conjugate vaccines, MenB required a different approach and was instead made using proteins found on the surface of most MenB bacteria. It’s introduced for babies – making the UK the first to include it as part of the routine immunisation programme. Three years later, 277 cases of meningitis and septicaemia are estimated to be prevented across England.

The MenC vaccine offered to teenagers is replaced with MenACWY vaccine and a catch up campaign targeting older age groups is also initiated to provide protection against a virulent strain of meningococcal W (MenW) disease, which is rising rapidly. The strain is identified by Meningitis Research Foundation’s Meningococcal Genome Library to be the cause of outbreaks in South America, prompting an emergency vaccine rollout for teenagers. A year after the introduction of the vaccine there were 69% fewer MenW cases than expected.