Timely Prevention of Adolescent Invasive Meningococcal Disease

In August 2025, EMJ conducted individual interviews with two European medical experts and a patient advocate who had survived infection in adolescence on the critical importance of timely immunisation against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in adolescents. The discussions highlighted the disease burden, lasting sequelae, and the global need for improved vaccine coverage, particularly against serogroup B (MenB), the leading cause of IMD in Europe. The interviews underscored a second peak of IMD incidence in adolescence and the challenges in integrating MenB and MenACWY vaccines into national immunisation schedules, which currently results in suboptimal vaccine uptake in this age group. This article aims to shed light on the need and opportunities to help protect adolescents against IMD.