Uruguay launches meningococcus vaccination campaign in schools

Uruguay has launched a vaccination campaign against meningococcus targeting adolescents within secondary education centers. The initiative includes high schools, technical training centers (UTU), and various educational and production centers (Cecap) across 463 locations nationwide.

Health teams are administering the MenFive vaccine, which protects against serogroups A, C, W, X, and Y. In addition to the meningococcus inoculation, medical teams are reviewing students' vaccination records to ensure they are up to date with the National Vaccination Schedule. Families must provide prior authorization via a form to allow health officials to administer the vaccines.

Minister of Public Health Cristina Lustemberg emphasized that targeting adolescents is a critical milestone in expanding coverage. The current campaign covers children and adolescents aged 6 to 15 at no cost, with plans to eventually extend coverage to the entire population aged 2 to 18. This preventative measure follows a period where 30 confirmed cases and 8 deaths were recorded in 2026.