Teenagers from Brighton have helped a landmark study into how giving a meningitis vaccine to 14 to 19-year-olds helps protect people of all ages.

More than 24,000 teenagers took part in the Be on the TEAM study, including more than 1,400 from four schools in the Brighton area.

The study involved researchers taking throat swabs to look for MenACWY and MenB, and immunising teenagers with the MenB vaccine.

Part of the study was stopped early due to Covid-19 and school closures, however swab results from the teenagers were still very useful to look at how many carried the Meningocccous bacteria compared to how many carried the bacteria in a previous study four years earlier, before introduction of the MenACWY vaccine.

The vaccine was given to teenagers because this is where transmission of the meningococcal bacteria is known to be highest and could generate herd protection, or herd immunity.

The findings align with data from the UK showing the incidence of MenW disease has fallen in all age groups since the teenage MenACWY vaccine campaign.

Researchers found the MenACWY vaccine substantially reduced carriage of the W and Y meningococcal groups, which cause the disease, and sustained low levels of the C group.

Dr Katy Fidler, consultant in paediatric infectious diseases, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, and reader at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, was the local principal Investigator on the study and one of the study authors.

“I’m delighted to see that this study has demonstrated such positive results, showing that the MenACWY vaccine is key to reducing the number of teenagers carrying the meningococcus bacteria in their throat,” she said.

“This in turn has contributed to the reduction in the overall incidence of people carrying the meningococcus bacteria in all age groups, reducing the risk of people suffering from meningitis and sepsis due to these bacteria.

“It also gave myself, research nurse Rebecca Ramsay, and a parent whose child had died from meningitis, the opportunity to go into the schools and talk to over 2,000 teenagers about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis, which provided an excellent opportunity to educate teenagers about health.

“I would like to thank all the schools and young people in Brighton who took part in the study. This study shows how important it is for schools and the community to take part in research.”