Invasive meningococcal disease in adolescents in Europe and select geographies: Disease burden, unmet medical need, and optimizing prevention

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is uncommon but serious; the case fatality rate is 8–15% and up to 20–40% of survivors experience disabling sequelae, with a substantial socioeconomic impact. Although incidence is highest in infants and young children (aged ≤4 y), a second epidemiologic peak occurs in adolescents and young adults (aged 15–24 y), who are the main carriers of Neisseria meningitidis. We reviewed the burden of IMD in adolescents and young adults in Europe and select geographies including Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. Globally, there are differing, often suboptimal, vaccination policies with variable vaccination coverage for IMD prevention caused by the major serogroups (A, B, C, W, and Y). The increased risk in adolescents and young adults may relate to their social behaviors. They are difficult to reach due to a reduced incidence of chronic diseases, age-related perceptions of not being at risk, in addition to reliance on technology-based rapid health information searches rather than healthcare professional–based consultations. Absence of standard and comprehensive vaccination programs for the prevention of IMD in adolescents and young adults presents a clear unmet medical need. Existing vaccines against IMD in adolescents are underutilized compared with vaccines against diseases with better awareness and reimbursement schemes. Increasing access to vaccines against IMD, together with innovative strategies such as awareness campaigns and the use of artificial intelligence, as well as practical strategies, such as in-pharmacy vaccination, will be needed to increase the prevention of IMD in adolescents and young adults.