Meningitis B vaccine to be offered to a million young people

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3 days ago

Smitha Mundasad Health reporter

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Students will be able to get the vaccine at community pharmacies

A million young people in the UK will be offered a vaccine to help protect against meningitis B.

The one-off programme has been launched after concerns over the UK's largest and fastest growing meningitis B outbreak to date in Kent this year and two further "unusual" clusters in Weymouth in Dorset and Reading in Berkshire.

The two-dose vaccine will be for pupils in Year 13, in England and Wales, Year 14 in Northern Ireland and S6 in Scotland, as well as those aged 18 to 25 heading to university or residential further education for the first time in the autumn.

Officials say the programme will help protect those at "highest immediate risk". Meningococcal disease can lead to life-threatening illness.

Aaron Mills from Kidderminster in Worcestershire was 18 years old when he died from meningitis in January 2026.

He had recently started as a student at John Moores University in Liverpool and was home for the Christmas holidays.

He had mild flu-like symptoms and on 30 December he went back to bed with a headache.

Thirty minutes later his family heard screaming from his room.

"His eyes were open but he was fitting and unresponsive, he didn't know we were there," his mother told the BBC.

Aaron's father said: "When the hospital told us it was meningitis I was confused, because I thought Aaron had been vaccinated, and we checked and he was.

"But we didn't know until afterwards that there are different strains of meningitis."

Currently a separate vaccine covering different strains, the MenACWY vaccine, is offered routinely to teenagers aged 14.

"The impact this has had on the family and friends is horrific. The pain is unbearable."

Mills family

Aaron Mills had just started studying science and football at university

Meningitis B bacteria spread through close contact - for example through kissing, sharing vapes and drinks or living in close quarters with a person with the bug.

UK health officials say the risk to 18-year-olds or those entering university for the first time is higher than to many of their peers because of increased mixing of social groups and shared accommodation.

While each nation has slightly different plans, the one-off MenB vaccination programme will broadly be available to:

Most pupils completing Year 13 or S6 in the summer of 2026 - irrespective of their education plans. (Most children from this age group who are not currently in school will also be eligible.)

Young people aged 18-25 starting university or moving into residential further education settings for the first time in autumn 2026

Two doses are required for maximum protection, given at least 28 days apart.

In England these will be offered in July and August through community pharmacies and there will be no need to go to the same pharmacy for both jabs.

Year 13s will be contacted directly through the NHS app, text, email, or letter - depending on health records.

Meanwhile under-25s who are starting university for the first time will be able to book appointments directly with pharmacies.

International students under-25 entering their first year of university should receive their first dose before arriving for their studies, where possible, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

In Wales the vaccine programme will run from July to December.

Those aged 17-18 will receive a letter from health boards from early July.

Those aged 18 to 25 who are entering higher education will need to contact their health board later in July.

In Scotland the programme will also start in July.

Northern Ireland is set to run a similar programme from mid-late July.

Lana Quinlan

Lana Quinlan is still recovering from meningitis four years after she first contracted the infection

Lana Quinlan, 22, has been calling for the MenB vaccine to be rolled out since contracting meningitis while studying at Cardiff University.

Four years on, she says she is still struggling with the after-effects and suffers from chronic migraines, short term memory loss and photophobia - an extreme intolerance to bright lights.

"It's certainly a step in the right direction," she says, "but it should be a be a permanent thing."

The jab is being rolled out as a one off this year to those at highest risk.

"I can't see why it should only be a year. It will benefit so many people - especially in higher education."

"You'll just have one generation that's covered, instead of everyone that wants to be."

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England, James Murray, said:

"The Kent outbreak and recent clusters indicate a possible change to the way MenB affects people.

"While we assess the latest evidence, we are acting now to help protect young people at highest immediate risk as they enter university and residential colleges this autumn.

"By offering two doses of the jabs ahead of the academic year, we will…