Meningitis is not a disease of the past: it is a present and preventable threat
To win this battle, we need coordinated European health policies, investment in genomic sequencing and efforts to tackle vaccine hesitancy
Key points
World Meningitis Day was observed on 5 October: despite the progress made in recent decades, a study published in 2026 in *The Lancet Neurology* warns that current progress is not sufficient to meet the targets of the WHO’s ‘Defeating Meningitis by 2030’ programme. Europe cannot afford to let its guard down.
The issue of cover
In Italia, vaccination coverage against Meningococcal B in newborns stands at around 80 per cent, in line with that against Meningococcal C at 24 months of age. Meanwhile, coverage for the quadrivalent ACWY vaccine amongst adolescents ranges between 50 and 60 per cent, well below the 90 per cent target set by the Ministry of Health, and there are no data on Meningococcal B as the vaccine is only offered to adolescents in certain Italian regions. According to data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease in Italia is 0.04 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with serogroup B being the most prevalent (50.3 per cent of typed cases) and serogroups W and Y on the rise.
Regional disparities and a European comparison
Coverage varies significantly from region to region. At European level, according to the ECDC, between 2008 and 2017 the overall incidence fell by 34.4 per cent, but serogroups W and Y recorded increases of more than 500 per cent and 130 per cent respectively. Another cause for concern is the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, in particular the clonal complexes CC4821 and CC11, which are resistant to ciprofloxacin or beta-lactams. In Italia, it was only with the 2023–2025 National Vaccination Programme (PNPV) that protection for children aged 13 months was extended from Meningococcus C alone to Meningococci ACWY in all Italian regions (prior to 2023, only 12 out of 20 regions offered this broader coverage). Furthermore, even today, numerous Italian regions have not supplemented the protection of adolescents with the ACWY meningococcal vaccine by offering the meningococcal B vaccine.
The Survivors
Around 20 per cent of survivors of bacterial meningitis are left with serious long-term effects. The first WHO global guidelines on the treatment of acute meningitis, published in 2025 (https://www.who.int/news/item/10-04-2025-who-launches-first-ever-guidelines-on-meningitis-diagnosis--treatment-and-care), highlight the lack of standardised protocols for post-hospital rehabilitation in many countries. A study conducted in the United Kingdom found an overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 14 per cent (8.7 per cent in children), with sequelae being more common in patients over 50.
A vaccine from six weeks of age
Eradicating meningitis by 2030 requires coordinated European health policies, investment in genomic sequencing and efforts to tackle vaccine hesitancy. In September 2026, the European Commission extended the recommendation for a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (groups A, C, W and Y) to newborns from six weeks of age, providing an additional tool to protect the most vulnerable groups. Meningitis is not a disease of the past: it is a present and preventable threat.
