Meningitis B
If you/your child are under 16 you can check your/your child’s immunisation history in your/their red book. If you are over 16 you can view your immunisation history in the NHS App.
For information regarding Meningitis and the vaccines available on the NHS please see information below and on the NHS website.
Please note Meningitis B and Meningitis ACWY are two different vaccines.
FAQs
Can meningitis be prevented?
Several vaccines offered free of charge by the NHS can help protect against certain causes of meningitis and septicaemia:
- MenB vaccine: For babies given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine: For babies given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
- Pneumococcal vaccine: Two doses for babies given at 16 weeks and 1 year; single dose for adults aged 65+
- Hib/MenC vaccine: For babies given at 1 year (if born on or before 30 June 2024)
- MMR vaccine: For babies given at 1 year, with a second dose at 18 months
- MenACWY vaccine: For teenagers in year 9 at school (a catch up programme is available through the GP to all under the age of 25 if this has been missed at school)
The Men B vaccine does not protect against all MenB bacterium types. This is why we always raise awareness of signs and symptoms alongside the available vaccines, see NHS website for further information.
Am I protected from MenB by childhood vaccines (MenACWY)?
The MenB vaccine was added to the NHS immunisation schedule for infants in 2015, providing protection for babies and young children in the UK. It is separate from the MenACWY.
If you are a teenager or young adult born before 1 May 2015, you will not have received the MenB vaccine as part of the NHS schedule.
What should I do if I’ve missed my Meningitis B or MenACWY vaccine?
To get the most benefit, it is important for you or your child to have your vaccines when they are offered or as close to that time as possible. Young children (under 2) who have missed one or more dose of the MenB vaccine can have this free of charge before their second birthday and missed MMR or MMRV vaccine doses can be given at any age.
Those aged between 14 and 25 who have missed the MenACWY school vaccination programme can arrange to have the vaccine at their GP surgery. Please note this is separate to the meningitis B vaccination which is only available privately for anyone over 2 years of age.
If you were born before 1 May 2015, there is no NHS catch up programme for the MenB vaccine.
Can I have the MenB vaccine privately?
The MenB vaccine can be accessed privately through high street pharmacies, private GP providers and travel clinics. For those aged over 2 years, the vaccination course consists of 2 doses. Please note that these vaccines are in high demand currently and there may be shortages.
