Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to fund sustained public awareness activity on meningitis, including awareness of signs and symptoms, available vaccinations and when to seek urgent medical help.

Raising awareness about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia, as well as the benefits of the MenACWY vaccine, remains a Department funding priority.

The Department, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England have been working with national and local partners across the higher education, further education, school and early years sectors on meningitis. This includes sharing a range of resources to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia/sepsis, when to seek medical attention and the vaccine offers available.

Engagement and support with key sector stakeholders will continue throughout the year with further sharing communications resources and digital content on owned channels raising awareness of signs and symptoms and encouraging uptake of the MenACWY vaccine.

UKHSA provides a range of resources and assets, co-branded with the NHS, including information leaflets about the importance of vaccination and posters about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia. These are available in multiple languages and accessible formats, including easy read, British Sign Language, and braille, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-public-health-resources

A collaboratively produced university vaccine communications toolkit is also available and is shared via Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, with further information available at the following link:

https://find-public-health-resources.service.gov.uk/University%20vaccine%20communications%20toolkit/UNI24