Guidance

MenB and MenACWY programmes: a video training guide for healthcare professionals

Updated 2 September 2015

A training resource for healthcare professionals on the MenB and MenACWY immunisation programmes, to use along-side the advanced training slide set.

The MenACWY vaccine is being introduced in response to an increase in cases of invasive meningococcal disease capsular group W (MenW) disease.This vaccine will provide direct protection to the vaccinated cohort and, by reducing carriage of MenW, will also provide indirect protection to unvaccinated children and adults.

The new MenB vaccine (Bexsero®) will protect against meningococcal disease capsular group B. The vaccine will be added to the childhood immunisation programme as part of the routine schedule in England from 1 September 2015.

1. What meningococcal disease is

Dr. Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England (PHE) explains the scientific background to the changes to the childhood immunisation schedule to protect against meningococcal disease (slides 3-11).

What is meningococcal disease?

2. The MenB vaccine (Bexero®)

Dr. Shamez Ladhani, Paediatric Infectious Diseases consultant in the immunisation department of PHE explains the scientific research and development behind the new MenB vaccine for infants (slides 12-20).

What is the MenB vaccine (Bexero®)?

3. Who we should vaccinate

Dr. Mary Ramsay provides an explanation of the epidemiological background to the changes in vaccinating to protect against meningococcal disease (slides 21-37).

Who we should vaccinate

4. How we are implementing the new MenB infant immunisation programme

Matthew Olley, immunisation nurse specialist in the immunisation department of PHE explains the details of the infant immunisation programme and how it is going to be delivered (slides 28-39).

How are we implementing the new MenB infant immunisation programme?

5. How we can prevent fever after the MenB vaccination

Dr. Shamez Ladhani explains how healthcare professionals will support the management of fever after MenB vaccination (slides 40-61).

How can we prevent fever after the MenB vaccination?

6. How we can control the increase in MenW disease

Dr. Mary Ramsay explains how the vaccination programme aims to control MenW disease (slides 62-74).

How can we control the increase in Meningococcal group W disease?

7. Which MenACWY conjugate vaccines to use

Matthew Olley provides details of the MenACWY vaccine (slides 75-88).

Which MenACWY conjugate vaccines should we use?

8. How we will implement the teenage MenACWY programme

Dr. Shamez Ladhani explains the details of the teenage immunisation programme and how it is going to be delivered (slides 89-95).

How will we implement the teenage MenACWY programme?

9. How we will monitor the programmes

Slides 96 to 106 explain the methods of monitoring the two new programmes:

  • identifying and reporting the notifiable infections
  • the follow up process of meningococcal cases
  • using the yellow card scheme and CHIS reporting system

10. Additional resources

Additional information on the MenB and MenACWY programmes can be found in slides 107-116, the immunisation collection and the below footage from the PHE’s 2015 national immunisation network meeting.

10.1 2015 National immunisation network meeting

Additional information on MenB

The role of paracetamol in the MenB programme

Implementing the MenB and MenACWY programmes

10.2 MenB and Paracetamol

Public Health England has been working closely with Oxford Vaccine Group who have produced a mock video consultation including a discussion between a practice nurse and patient about the use of paracetamol following MenB vaccination. This is a key training resource for frontline immunisers to ensure that parents receive the necessary information on the increased risk of fever and correct use of paracetamol following the two and fourth month appointment visits. Local NHS England and PHE colleagues are requested to help to cascade this training locally to frontline immunisers.

MenB and Paracetamol consultation

10.3 Further information and training materials on the MenB and MenACWY immunisation programmes are available.

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