The new basic vaccination package for children in Belgium now includes a vaccine protecting against multiple variants of meningococcal disease – putting into practice a 2019 advice from the Superior Health Council.
From now on, children aged 15 months will receive an injection with the vaccine against several variants of meningococci, which cause bacterial meningitis. There are different types (serogroups): A, B, C, W and Y.
Meningitis is a life-threatening infection that mainly occurs in children between one and five years old. Most people, however, have sufficient resistance to the disease and carry the bacteria without becoming ill, the Child and Family Agency indicated on their website.
Up until now, the authorities only vaccinated children against meningitis type C, but because other types are also starting to make victims in our country, the vaccine is being replaced so that it offers protection against types A, C, W and Y. The Superior Health Council already recommended this in 2019, but the change was postponed for a while due to the Covid-19 crisis.
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While it was already possible to vaccinate with the ACWY vaccine, the combination vaccine came with a cost of €52.6 because it was not part of the basic package. Now, the shot will be offered free of charge by the authorities.
Additionally, the vaccination against measles in the basic schedule will also change, as the second shot will now be set at the age of nine instead of ten years, based on a recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
