Meningococcal infection risks and vaccination efforts vary across Europe, with Lithuania showing reduced incidence after childhood vaccination.
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Efforts to stop the spread of meningococcal infections vary across European Union countries; for example, in Romania, childhood vaccinations are neither mandatory nor state-funded. In Lithuania, the National Public Health Center reports that since 2018, children have been vaccinated against serogroup B meningococcal infection using state funds, which has led to a decrease in illness and mortality from the disease. France is currently seeing a high number of meningococcal infection cases, prompting the implementation of a mandatory vaccination requirement for children starting in 2025 against ACWY and B types, and recommending booster doses for adolescents. In Romania, meningococcal vaccines are not recommended or covered by the state, despite a child dying from meningitis there, highlighting the critical need for vaccination. Meningococcal infection, caused by Neisseria meningitidis, is a serious bacterial infection that can lead to sepsis or meningitis, with symptoms often mimicking common illnesses but progressing rapidly to severe complications or death, with mortality rates ranging from 10 to 15 percent.
