Boosters 'may be needed for meningitis C immunity'

Experts from the Oxford Vaccine Group say teenagers should be given a booster injection in order to increase protection against the disease.

They say children are still protected from the potentially fatal bug at the moment through the existence of "herd immunity", as vaccination drastically reduces the level of the germs in the population.

The experts warn, however, it is not clear how long herd immunity will remain .

Professor Andrew Pollard, who leads the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: "This study is just the latest to show that the personal protection given by meningitis C vaccines in early childhood doesn't last forever and several countries have now responded to these findings by introducing teenage boosters, before protection fails in the population."