§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement a programme to vaccinate all high-risk groups of the population against meningitis; and how many cases of meningitis there have been in each year since 1990. [75457]
§ Ms JowellPresent advice from the Public Health Laboratory Service Meningococcus Working Group, endorsed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, recommends using the existing meningococcal vaccine under specific conditions for groups at high risk. There are no plans at present to widen these recommendations. Research is being actively promoted into meningococcal vaccines that may overcome some of the shortcomings of the existing vaccine and may, therefore, be suitable for more widespread use. Notifications of meningococcal disease are given in the table.
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Notifications of meningococcal infection (septicaemia and meningitis) by epidemiological year (1 July-30 June) in England and Wales Epidemiological year Notifications 1998–99 1,21,840 1997–98 12,622 1996–97 2,519 1995–96 2,183 1994–95 1,559 1993–94 1,442
Notifications of meningococcal infection (septicaemia and meningitis) by epidemiological year (1 July-30 June) in England and Wales Epidemiological year Notifications 1992–93 1,328 1991–92 1,294 1990–91 1,365 1 Provisional 2 From 1 July 1998 to 26 February 1999 Source:
Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre
Meningococcal infection occurs throughout the year, but infections reach a peak in the winter months and the number of cases so far this year is in line with recent winters. There are irregular upsurges in meningococcal infection and recent years have seen an increase in the incidence of disease.