Meningitis Now is encouraging school leavers to take up their free MenB vaccination.
As young people across the country receive their exam results and look towards the future, we urge everyone who is eligible to get their free MenB jabs.
Whether they are starting university in September, going to college, moving into shared accommodation or getting a job, 17-and-18-year-olds should have MenB jabs on their to-do list.
The MenB vaccine protects against meningococcal B bacteria which can cause meningitis and sepsis. Meningococcal B bacteria spreads through close contact, including living in the same household, kissing, or sharing items such as drinks or vapes.
Teenagers and young people are the second most at-risk group for contracting meningitis, and MenB is one of the most common causes of meningitis amongst young people.
Meningitis can kill within hours or leave survivors with life-changing after-effects – including limb loss, hearing loss and acquired brain injury.
CEO Dr Tom Nutt said: “The one-off national MenB vaccination programme for 17-and-18-year-olds has been running for almost a month. We are heartened to hear that 90,000 young people were vaccinated in the first few weeks of the programme. But, as we know, there are as many as one million eligible young people in the UK who could have the jab and so are we are continuing to urge parents, care givers, and young people to book these potentially life-saving vaccinations.”
“We understand that some people have found it difficult to access appointments or vaccines in the early days of the programme – but we hope that, with vaccine supply being bolstered to meet demand, everyone who needs a vaccine will get theirs now.”
The NHS’s one-off MenB vaccination programme is being offered to:
- Everyone in England and Wales born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 (Year 13 school leavers).
- Equivalent final-year school students in Scotland and Northern Ireland (Year 14 or S6).
- Those under 25 who will be attending university, or living in further education accommodation or halls of residence, for the first time in autumn 2026. This includes eligible students from the UK, Crown Dependencies and international students.
Two doses of the MenB vaccine are required for maximum protection. The second dose must be given at least four weeks after the first. The vaccine is fully effective two weeks after the second dose.
Therefore, the whole process takes six weeks from start to finish. This is why it’s important for eligible young people to get a first dose as early as possible, ideally well before the autumn term begins if they are starting further education.
