UK health advisers are now recommending that all teenagers be offered a free meningitis B (MenB) vaccine at around age 15, a change from earlier guidance. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) says the move responds to new evidence and recent outbreaks, including the fast-growing cluster in Kent earlier this year that led to two deaths.
A one-off vaccination campaign is already under way this summer to offer free MenB jabs to young people starting university and other higher-risk groups. Pharmacies across the UK have been taking part, and the Department of Health and Social Care said it will consider the JCVI advice and update on any future programme in due course. Final decisions on funding and delivery will be made by ministers in each UK nation; people would not pay for the jab if it becomes an NHS offer.
The JCVI recommends two doses around age 15 for the best protection because teenagers and young adults are more likely to catch and spread MenB through close social contacts such as kissing or sharing vapes. Those who received MenB as babies (the vaccine was added to the NHS childhood schedule for babies born on or after 1 July 2015) would normally need only a single booster dose in their teens rather than two doses.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI advisory group, said: “Invasive meningococcal disease is a rare but very serious illness, which can have a devastating impact on lives.” The committee says it worked closely with meningitis charities and considered the experiences of families affected by the disease when changing its advice.
Meningitis B can cause meningitis (inflammation of the brain lining) and sepsis (blood poisoning). It may lead to life-changing disabilities such as amputations, hearing loss and brain damage, and can be fatal. Dr Tom Nutt, head of Meningitis Now, called the JCVI recommendation a “significant moment” and an important step toward protecting many more young people.
After the Kent outbreak, some parents rushed to buy the vaccine privately for their children; at the time the government had said wider teenage vaccination was not necessary. The JCVI now says the balance of evidence and risk has shifted. Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, described the recommendation as “good news,” saying pharmacies are ready to help deliver the vaccines.
Vaccination can prevent severe illness and save lives, and the JCVI hopes routine adolescent MenB vaccination will better protect teenagers and reduce the chance of similar outbreaks in future.
