Meningitis: Middle school students will be able to get vaccinated at school this year

With meningitis cases exceptionally high in 2024 and early 2025, vaccination is particularly important. Children and young adults are affected.

Meningitis primarily affects children and young people. This disease, which is an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, can be very serious. It is particularly dangerous when it is bacterial. Meningitis can be caused by a bacterium, meningococcus. "Vaccination is the best way to protect against bacterial meningitis," reminds the World Health Organization (WHO).

A vaccine that is mandatory for infants and recommended for adolescents

Following an increase in cases of meningococcal infections in 2024 and early 2025, "the vaccination strategy has been intensified," according to the Ministry of Health . The Ministry announced some changes in April 2025. First, for children, mandatory vaccination of infants against meningococcus B and ACWY is extended to 2 years of age, "including those who have already been vaccinated against meningococcus C." Catch-up vaccination against the same meningococci is also recommended for children up to 5 years of age.

For adolescents, vaccination against meningococcus ACWY is recommended between the ages of 11 and 14. "This vaccination will be rolled out in particular as part of the national vaccination campaign in middle schools, concurrently with vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV)," the ministry stated. Also, for 15-24 year-olds, catch-up vaccination against meningococcus ACWY is recommended, and the meningococcus B vaccine may be offered to them.

Since January 1, 2025, vaccination against meningococcus B and ACWY has been mandatory for infants. The vaccination schedule is three doses for meningococcus B (at 3, 5, and 12 months) and two doses for meningococcus ACWY (at 6 and 12 months). Mandatory and recommended vaccines are reimbursed at 65% by health insurance.

Record number of infections since 2010

Vaccination is particularly important as meningococcal infections (meningitis or septicemia) have been increasing since 2022. They were particularly numerous in 2024: 616 cases were reported in the year, " the highest annual number of cases since 2010" according to Public Health France . At the start of 2025, the upward trend continued, with 95 cases in January and 89 in February " a level well above what was observed for the same period of the year during previous seasons ."

The symptoms of meningitis, in children and adults, are generally:

• fever,
• severe headaches,
• nausea or vomiting,
• stiff neck,
• significant fatigue, drowsiness,
• sometimes disturbances of consciousness or convulsions.

In infants, symptoms are more difficult to recognize. These can include fever, vomiting, seizures, etc. In both adults and children, a generalized infection called purpura fulminans can occur: it manifests as hemorrhagic spots under the skin. This is a sign of seriousness, requiring emergency hospitalization.

What are the treatments for meningitis?

Meningitis requires hospitalization. A lumbar puncture is performed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the source of the infection, which can be viral, bacterial, or even fungal. A viral infection is generally mild and resolves spontaneously without treatment. However, although it can be treated with antibiotics, "bacterial meningitis is particularly worrying. About one in six people with this type of meningitis dies, and one in five develops serious complications," the WHO states.