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Malaga was the province with the highest number of meningitis cases in 2024, with a total of 18, followed by Seville with ten, according to data from the regional ministry of health and consumer affairs, released on World Meningitis Day. On a regional level, vaccination coverage against the disease exceeds 90% in all provinces.
According to the occupational health and surveillance service, a total of 58 cases of meningococcal disease were registered in Andalucía in 2024. Behind Malaga and Seville came Cadiz and Cordoba (seven cases), Almeria and Granada (six) and Huelva and Jaén (two). So far this year, a total of 25 cases have already been recorded in Andalucía.
During 2020 and 2021, the security measures put in place to control the Covid-19 pandemic led to a virtual disappearance of meningitis cases. They began increasing again in 2022, with 31 cases. The year-on-year increase brought them to 46 in 2023 and 58 in 2024. Experts had already warned that, with the progressive relaxation of these measures, the disease would proliferate again, hence the importance of continuing to strengthen the vaccination coverage of the population as the main protective measure.
As for vaccination coverage, it has reached over 98% in infants (meningococcus B) and babies at four and 12 months (meningococcus ACWY). The figure experiences a slight decrease in the adolescent group (13 to 18 years old), dropping to 90%, i.e. 591,752 out of 657,722 adolescents living in Andalucía have been vaccinated.
Most meningitis cases occur in childhood, in the first four years of life, and in adolescence. It is a potentially very serious disease, with life-long sequelae in up to 30% of cases and even death in 10% of cases.
The most frequent cause is a group of bacteria, among which a bacterium called meningococcus clearly stands out. The bacteria can manifest as meningitis and sepsis - the most frequent and severe forms of clinical presentation. There are several types, with meningococci B, C, W and Y being the most common throughout Europe. Vaccines are available for all of them. Andalucía introduced them into the vaccination schedule in 2020. Previously, only the meningococcal C vaccine was available in the schedule.
Other causes of bacterial meningitis in childhood are primarily due to pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae type B, for which vaccines have also been included in the vaccination schedule since 2016 for pneumococcus and for over 20 years for Haemophilus.
Other frequent causes of meningitis are viruses, mainly enteroviruses, but they are usually mild and have a very good prognosis.
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