Current global trends in meningococcal disease control, risk groups and vaccination: Consensus of the Global Meningococcal Initiative

This review outlines recent trends on invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) discussed at the latest meeting of the Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI). There has been a re-emergence of the Hajj strain sublineage (serogroup W; ST-11 clonal complex), with travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being a critical factor in transmission. The epidemiology of IMD has also changed following the COVID-19 pandemic, with annual IMD cases increasing in many countries. For example, the highest number of IMD cases since 2014 was reported in the USA in 2023-2024. Atypical presentations of IMD have been prominent irrespective of the pandemic. For instance, an increase in cases of meningococcal epiglottitis has been reported in France in 2022-2023 (serogroups W and Y). When considering vaccination, the GMI has identified a need for broader meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) immunisation owing to the potential impact of the vaccines on reducing IMD incidence caused by other serogroups than MenB. There is also a case for using MenB vaccination to protect against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection based on initial evidence, albeit further studies will need to be conducted.