Meningitis

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will tabulate the number of incidents and fatalities for each type of meningitis (a) per district health authority and (b) per regional health authority, for each of the last 10 years, or the most convenient period.

[holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is not available in the form requested. Cases of infectious diseases are notified by the doctor in attendance to the proper officer for each local authority area. Notifications of meningitis are therefore not generally available at the district health authority level. However, the number of cases notified for each type of

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1981
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	25	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	12	13	50
Yorkshire	43	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	32	107	182
Trent	27	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	35	58	120
East Anglian	14	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	7	7	28
North West Thames	33	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	28	22	83
North East Thames	35	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	48	21	104
South East Thames	34	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	74	39	147
South West Thames	18	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	65	17	100
Wessex	38	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	18	11	67
Oxford	16	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	20	5	41
South Western	26	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	20	5	51
West Midlands	37	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	33	35	105
Mersey	24	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	55	12	91
North Western	53	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	60	27	140
Wales	41	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	28	15	84

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1982
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	20	3	9	17	0	11	60
Yorkshire	39	6	19	72	13	24	173
Trent	26	8	15	11	27	17	104
East Anglian	14	4	5	14	4	3	44
North West Thames	22	4	8	13	10	14	71
North East Thames	35	8	11	13	11	12	90
South East Thames	49	12	19	26	11	9	126
South West Thames	11	5	11	17	3	5	52
Wessex	25	3	10	4	6	4	52
Oxford	16	2	5	8	2	1	34
South Western	22	4	6	7	2	8	49
West Midlands	30	8	16	31	9	7	101
Mersey	30	4	13	36	10	10	103
North Western	48	10	18	42	6	14	138
Wales	23	6	12	10	17	6	74

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1983
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	11	7	11	12	7	5	53
Yorkshire	37	4	27	91	17	20	186
Trent	41	4	15	5	9	17	91
East Anglian	11	4	4	6	1	2	28
North West Thames	28	3	8	17	16	11	83
North East Thames	26	8	7	12	3	7	63
South East Thames	26	8	13	3	1	7	58
South West Thames	19	5	12	12	5	3	56
Wessex	29	3	10	4	3	7	56
Oxford	13	4	4	12	1	5	39
South Western	50	4	10	4	5	6	79
West Midlands	27	5	17	28	12	8	97

meningitis at regional health authority level for the years 1981 to 1990, is shown in the tables. The data for 1991 are not yet available.

The information in respect of fatalities could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Irregular and unexplained upsurges of meningitis, particularly of meningococcal infection, occur in the United Kingdom. The location of outbreaks cannot be predicted, although it is known that most cases occur in the winter months.

A vaccine—"Hib"—against invasive haemophilus disease, one of the major causes of bacterial meningitis, is to be added to the United Kingdom infant immunisation schedule from next October. This should help to reduce considerably the overall total reports of deaths and illness from meningitis.

Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Mersey	46	7	8	34	10	5	110
North Western	32	4	18	63	7	32	156
Wales	32	4	19	5	9	2	71

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1984
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Menginitis influenzal	Menginitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	17	9	4	6	3	5	44
Yorkshire	19	6	21	75	23	23	167
Trent	33	3	21	12	21	13	103
East Anglian	16	1	11	0	7	3	38
North West Thames	33	6	10	13	2	7	71
North East Thames	35	9	12	16	10	5	87
South East Thames	31	7	18	14	14	16	100
South West Thames	20	1	8	12	0	6	47
Wessex	17	2	12	8	4	3	46
Oxford	13	2	12	16	5	12	60
South Western	20	2	12	11	9	14	68
West Midlands	37	5	21	17	14	4	98
Mersey	43	7	19	21	11	14	115
North Western	33	11	23	13	11	17	108
Wales	34	7	13	10	7	7	78

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1985
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	20	6	6	5	9	10	56
Yorkshire	40	9	16	60	34	26	185
Trent	44	8	23	20	23	17	135
East Anglian	20	3	13	13	6	6	61
North West Thames	43	5	9	13	5	7	82
North East Thames	38	5	7	26	9	8	93
South East Thames	41	3	12	15	6	13	90
South West Thames	30	6	15	15	3	8	77
Wessex	32	6	13	9	5	5	70
Oxford	21	2	22	24	3	11	83
South Western	35	5	9	16	31	9	105
West Midlands	49	5	10	30	14	17	125
Mersey	41	5	12	33	10	10	111
North Western	56	7	28	31	22	30	174
Wales	39	7	11	13	6	8	84

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1986
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	59	8	14	26	6	14	127
Yorkshire	95	15	19	113	46	28	316
Trent	69	13	22	17	26	23	170
East Anglian	15	5	9	13	4	3	49
North West Thames	43	6	19	20	6	15	109
North East Thames	47	10	11	15	8	8	99
South East Thames	56	4	16	23	11	13	123
South West Thames	40	5	13	31	8	6	103
Wessex	42	4	19	32	3	9	109
Oxford	18	5	17	17	9	9	75
South Western	67	6	12	26	16	11	138
West Midlands	93	29	25	32	16	42	237
Mersey	66	8	22	31	15	17	159
North Western	93	16	22	33	23	24	211
Wales	67	9	28	21	12	10	147

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1987
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	71	6	19	30	9	18	153
Yorkshire	104	16	21	75	26	29	281
Trent	72	15	13	44	25	17	186
East Anglian	20	2	12	12	4	7	57
North West Thames	62	10	19	23	12	13	139
North East Thames	55	8	13	43	14	24	157
South East Thames	89	12	36	40	22	28	227
South West Thames	47	5	27	42	6	13	140
Wessex	62	9	21	11	15	7	125
Oxford	51	7	38	17	12	13	138
South Western	58	9	9	24	15	9	134
West Midlands	104	13	35	75	27	24	278
Mersey	95	11	18	23	10	9	166
North Western	119	7	34	25	14	24	223
Wales	71	6	29	9	13	10	138

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1988
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	72	12	28	20	21	13	166
Yorkshire	103	11	40	59	49	27	289
Trent	111	30	27	90	24	26	308
East Anglian	31	4	11	7	6	8	67
North West Thames	82	15	32	29	8	8	174
North East Thames	71	11	22	25	6	20	155
South East Thames	109	14	31	46	18	24	242
South West Thames	55	12	25	29	7	14	142
Wessex	44	11	24	14	8	3	104
Oxford	44	13	34	21	12	11	135
South Western	87	15	28	34	33	11	208
West Midlands	160	18	32	37	27	33	307
Mersey	104	15	22	24	14	15	194
North Western	129	19	46	34	28	27	283
Wales	102	9	34	21	34	13	213

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1989
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	59	14	29	15	13	17	147
Yorkshire	67	13	20	56	48	31	235
Trent	105	11	44	54	20	26	260
East Anglian	18	2	17	7	4	13	61
North West Thames	81	9	27	19	13	10	159
North East Thames	65	8	21	10	18	22	144
South East Thames	105	17	38	22	11	29	222
South West Thames	38	5	21	19	12	14	109
Wessex	43	12	33	19	11	14	132
Oxford	57	7	27	20	7	14	132
South Western	79	11	45	40	32	13	220
West Midlands	130	25	57	48	21	30	311
Mersey	75	9	18	24	8	15	149
North Western	119	19	32	36	25	22	253
Wales	91	12	41	8	27	8	187

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1990
Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Northern	76	10	23	13	9	15	146
Yorkshire	100	9	29	77	19	20	254
Trent	104	17	42	34	12	13	222
East Anglian	34	5	15	5	6	11	76
North West Thames	67	11	23	28	12	8	139
North East Thames	66	13	35	12	19	23	168
South East Thames	71	16	32	18	12	19	168
South West Thames	46	7	18	16	10	8	105

Regional Health Authority	Meningitis meningococcal	Meningitis pneumococcal	Meningitis influenzal	Meningitis viral	Meningitis other specified	Meningitis unspecified	Meningitis all forms
Wessex	49	5	24	8	10	11	107
Oxford	42	7	30	20	6	10	115
South Western	85	8	20	35	17	23	188
West Midlands	116	17	49	28	20	32	262
Mersey	78	7	22	28	13	14	162
North Western	133	11	36	21	22	34	257
Wales	71	13	33	20	40	26	203

Volume 205: debated on Thursday 12 March 1992