Pediatricians: Every Child Deserves Meningitis Protection

The Belgian Academy of Paediatrics (BAoP) published a white paper on 30 June 2026 calling on the government to urgently broaden meningitis vaccination coverage for children, arguing that protection against a potentially fatal disease should not depend on a family’s income or place of residence. The appeal, authored by BAoP President Prof. Dr. Stéphane Moniotte, highlights a growing gap between scientific recommendations and policy implementation that has left some children dangerously unprotected.

The Hidden Cost of Incomplete Vaccination

Bacterial meningitis is rare but devastating. According to the BAoP, 10 to 15 percent of patients die despite treatment, while 20 to 40 percent suffer permanent severe consequences including brain damage, hearing loss, or amputations. The disease can progress in less than 24 hours, as Het Laatste Nieuws reported.

Despite the availability of effective vaccines, two key immunizations recommended by Belgium’s Superior Health Council (HGR) have not been incorporated into the official vaccination program. The meningococcal ACWY vaccine, recommended by the HGR since 2019 for adolescents, remains unavailable through the standard program. Similarly, the 20-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV20), recommended since April 2025, has not replaced the older PCV13 vaccine currently in use.

This gap has real consequences. As Prof. Moniotte wrote in the Medi-Sfeer white paper, PCV20 covers 56.7 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease cases, compared to just 6.3 percent for PCV13. Parents who want maximum protection for their children must pay out of pocket — up to €500 for full infant vaccination and €160 for adolescent vaccination.

Rising Case Numbers Add Urgency

The epidemiological data paints a concerning picture. In 2024, 134 children under two years old suffered invasive pneumococcal infections, including 19 meningitis cases and two deaths. That same year, 77 invasive meningococcal infections were recorded with two infant deaths. For 2025, the KU Leuven reference lab reported a 25.3 percent increase in pneumococcal meningitis cases across all age groups, as documented in the Hospichild conference report.

The BAoP frames this as a fundamental equity issue. “Protection against a potentially fatal disease should not depend on income, place of residence, or the ability of parents to bear additional costs,” the organization stated. Children in wealthier municipalities are significantly more likely to be vaccinated against meningococcal B than those in poorer areas, according to research cited by the Domus Medica report.

Political Dimension and International Context

The issue has drawn political attention. All of Belgium’s neighboring countries — the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Luxembourg — have already included MenB and ACWY vaccines in their standard schedules and transitioned to PCV20. Vlaams Belang MP Katleen Bury, whose daughter survived meningitis in February 2024 but lost her hearing permanently, has been a vocal critic of government inaction, as reported by Vlaams Belang.

“While our neighboring countries have been better protecting their populations for years, Belgium continues to hesitate,” Bury said. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) promised in February 2025 to “review the situation,” but no decision has been announced.

A Broader Prevention Gap

The BAoP’s white paper also highlights that Belgium spends less than 2 percent of its health budget on prevention, compared to a European average of approximately 3 percent and the World Health Organization’s recommended 5 percent. The WHO’s “Defeating Meningitis by 2030” roadmap aims to reduce bacterial meningitis cases by 50 percent and deaths by 70 percent.

“Belgium today has the scientific knowledge, preventive tools, and recommendations needed to better protect children against bacterial meningitis,” Prof. Moniotte wrote. “Yet certain measures and essential guidelines recommended by the Superior Health Council since 2019 are still pending.”

What Comes Next

The BAoP’s white paper puts renewed pressure on Belgian policymakers to act. The pediatricians argue that the solutions exist — what is missing is the political will to implement them. With rising case numbers, clear WHO targets, and successful implementation in neighboring countries, the question is no longer whether Belgium should broaden its meningitis vaccination program, but when.

For families like Kimberly’s — a meningitis survivor who lost all her limbs to meningococcal sepsis in 1996 and shared her story at the BAoP conference — the urgency is deeply personal. “I hope there will be more attention for sepsis and that the public will be made more aware,” she said, “so that no one else has to die or suffer the consequences of this terrible disease.”

Every child deserves the same level of protection. The pediatricians have made their case. Now the ball is in the government’s court.