1. Vaccination Information Pack
MenACWY
Vaccination Information Pack

2. What is meningococcal disease?
Infectious bacteria that can cause meningitis (infection of brain lining) and septicaemia (infection of the blood) – both can kill
Spreads through close persistent contact – e.g. Living in the same house, intimate kissing, sneezing, coughing
Around 1 in 10 of the general population and up to 1 in 4 older teenagers carry the bacteria
Meningococcal disease is most common in young children under five, with a second peak in cases during adolescence

3. How can I protect myself?
Get vaccinated! Vaccination is effective – cases of group C meningococcal infection dropped 98% since 1999 thanks to the MenC vaccination programme
Cases of group W meningococcal infection (MenW) in England and Wales, have increased year on year with 27 cases in 2010 to 215 in 2015
MenW is an aggressive strain with a higher than normal death rate of 1 in 10 cases
MenACWY vaccination was introduced in August 2015 to protect young people against this new outbreak and stop the spread of the disease

4. What is the MenACWY vaccine?
Protects against four strains of meningococcal disease – A, C, W and Y
Offered to all young people aged 13-20, and university freshers under 25
Available free of charge in school or from your GP depending on your age
More information on the programme including how and where to get the vaccine from MenACWY.co.uk

5. Meningitis and Septicaemia
The MenACWY vaccine does not protect against all causes of meningitis and septicaemia
It is very important to know the signs and symptoms
You can become ill quickly and it can be fatal
If you are worried about yourself or someone else, seek help immediately

7. For More Information
MenACWY.co.uk