Information for staff to support Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccination for Year 13 students in the 2016/17 academic year
Why are staff being given this information?
Year 13 students are currently being offered a vaccine to protect them against meningococcal disease. It is being offered in response to an increasing number of cases of a highly aggressive strain of meningococcal W (MenW). This disease can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) that can kill in hours and those who recover may be left severely disabled.
This vaccination programme was introduced in the 2014/15 academic year and offered to students in Years 9, 11 and 13. We would like your help in supporting students to receive this vaccine as we believe this will help increase the number of students who access vaccination.
This information has been designed to help staff to understand more about meningococcal disease to be able to promote the vaccine and answer questions from the students. If there are any questions about meningococcal disease you cannot answer, please signpost the students to their GP surgery. If you’d like any further information please visit:
• https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/meningococcal-acwy-menacwy-vaccination-programme
• http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/men-acwy-vaccine.aspx
What is meningococcal disease?
• Meningococcal disease is a rare but life-threatening disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. Meningococcal bacteria can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning). Both diseases are very serious and can kill.
• The meningococcal bacteria colonises the nasopharynx and between 5-11% of adults and up to 25% of adolescents carry the bacteria without any signs or symptoms. By targeting teenagers for vaccination the programme hopes to reduce the spread of disease to all age groups.
• There are 12 groups of meningococcus of which group B, C, W and Y are historically more common in the UK. The vaccine Year 13 students are being offered protects against four meningococcal groups: A, C, W and Y.
• Although cases of meningococcal disease overall have been in decline since 2000, cases of group W were first observed in previously healthy adults in 2009. In 2011, cases of MenW had extended across all age groups and across all regions in England, indicating the strain is now endemic.
• MenW infections are particularly severe and usually need to be treated in intensive care. They have a higher death rate than MenB & MenC strains.
What are the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease?
Babies and toddlers / Children and young adultsFever with poor peripheral perfusion / Fever with poor peripheral perfusion
Poor feeding, refusing food or vomiting / Vomiting
Tense, bulging fontanelle (soft spot on a babies skull) and photophobia (sensitivity to light) / Severe headache and photophobia (sensitivity to light)
Fretful, unusual cry, moaning or rapid breathing / Confusion and irritability
Neck stiffness / Neck stiffness and muscle pain
Pale blotchy complexion &/or rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (see image below) / Pale blotchy complexion &/or rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (see image below)
Drowsy & loss of consciousness / Drowsy & loss of consciousness
Symptoms can appear in any order; some may not appear at all.
What does the meningococcal rash look like?
• The rash is formed of tiny “pinpricks” and appears red in colour. The rash may later develop into purple bruising of the skin. The rash can appear anywhere on the body
• The meningococcal rash can be distinguished from other rashes by pressing a glass tumbler against it. A meningococcal rash will not fade when a glass tumbler is rolled over it (see image below).
The ‘tumbler’ test picture courtesy of Meningitis Research foundation http://www.meningitis.org/symptoms
• A fever and rash that does not fade is a sign of meningococcal septicaemia
• MenW has different symptoms to other meningococcal disease and in some cases the rash does not appear. Please be aware of the other symptoms listed above. If you are concerned someone may have meningitis do not wait for a rash to develop and seek medical advice urgently: call 999 or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department.
What are the complications of meningococcal disease?
It is estimated that approximately one quarter of those diagnosed with meningococcal disease will suffer complications as a result. Complications can vary in severity and can either be temporary or permanent. The more severe the disease the greater the risk of complications.
Complications can include: loss of hearing, loss of vision, loss of memory and/or concentration, difficulties in coordination and balance, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, limb amputations and may result in death.
Who is most at risk?
Older teenagers and young people are at a higher risk, particularly those who will be starting university for the first time. It is therefore important that Year 13 students are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
What does the vaccine protect against?
The vaccine protects against four strains: A, C, W and Y. Many students will have received meningococcal C vaccination in Year 9 or 10 but the MenACWY vaccine they are now being offered includes protection against A, W and Y, which they will not yet have received. Only very small numbers of Year 13 students will have received the MenACWY vaccination as a travel vaccine. If a Year 13 student says they have already received the vaccination, there is a reasonable chance they have only received protection against the ‘C’ strain and you should encourage them to check this with their GP.
How should students access the vaccination?
All Year 13 students should receive an invitation from their GP surgery to have their MenACWY vaccination but they don’t need to wait to receive this before booking an appointment. Year 13 students can book an appointment at their GP surgery for vaccination at any time.
Younger children
Younger children are also being offered the vaccine as part of school based programmes. All Year 9 and 11 students are being offered the vaccine by local school nursing teams and by the end of the 2016/17 academic year all current Year 9 – 13 students will have been offered the vaccine either in school or by their GP.
How can your school promote the vaccination?
• Distribute ‘student information slips’ and information leaflets to all Year 13 students, signed by the Head of Year or Head Teacher. We have attached an electronic ‘student information slip’ which we would encourage schools and colleges to distribute to all Year 13 students. This information has been produced with support from Year 13 students and they have suggested that if this information is signed by the Head of Year they would be most likely to make an appointment with their GP. We have also attached a protect yourself against meningococcal and septicaemia’ information leaflet. These can be given out at any time: this could be at year group assemblies or tutor meetings, and distributed with exam results as a reminder.
• Promote vaccination by using national resources. These can be downloaded and/or ordered for free on the Department of Health website: visit www.orderline.dh.gov.uk and search for ‘meningitis’. If you have any issues ordering these please contact us on the email address below.
• Get information out to parents and Year 13 students using existing communication platforms such as via newsletters, school/college website, or social media.
• Ask Year 13s if they have been vaccinated yet: this will raise their awareness of the need to get vaccinated and will give them an opportunity to ask you questions. If they ask you anything you are unsure of please signpost them to their GP surgery as they will be able to support the students further.
We would like to thank you in advance for your support. If you have any queries please contact the Screening & Immunisation Team in NHS England South (South Central) on
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