Meningococcal B (MenB) is rare but very serious and fatal in up to 10% of cases.
Like many parents, the first reports of meningitis B outbreaks and deaths in Kent really made me go cold. My first thought, though, wasn’t actually about my own children, I knew that I’d been fastidious with their vaccination schedules. I was concerned about why a disease, which is so easily vaccinated against, was suddenly making headlines and, tragically, claiming the lives of teenagers.
I looked into it further and realised that whilst my daughters had all of the jabs offered to them, most recently my 14-year-old twins had the MenACWY vaccine, which protects against four strains of meningitis – none of them would have been vaccinated against meningococcal B. That’s because the routine NHS MenB vaccination programme for infants was not introduced in the UK until September 2015. Children born before then largely missed out unless their parents sought the vaccine privately. This wasn’t on my radar; I simply assumed my children had received protection against all the major strains.
On discovering this, I immediately panicked about my eldest daughter, who is in her first year at college. Like many young people her age, she’s mixing with large groups of students every day. This is exactly the kind of environment where this disease thrives and spreads. I started looking into private vaccination options straight away. However, I couldn’t secure an appointment as stocks were so limited.
Further MenB outbreaks
Kent was not an isolated incident. Following further outbreaks in Dorset and Berkshire, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced a new vaccination programme for 18-year-olds and young adults – the most vulnerable to the disease.
The one-off programme will offer the MenB vaccine to:
• Everyone in England and Wales born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 (current Year 13 students).
• Equivalent final-year school students in Scotland and Northern Ireland (Year 14 or S6).
• Under-25s who will be starting university as undergraduates or moving into residential further education settings for the first time in autumn 2026.
All people within the year 13 date of birth range will receive the offer regardless of their education plans. Unfortunately, my eldest daughter is in year 12, meaning she will miss out on the MenB vaccine right now. However, this is a significant move and will have a major impact. In the meantime, we’ll be booking the vaccine privately as stocks are becoming available.
Please make sure your kids are up-to-date with all vaccinations. Through strong vaccine uptake and herd immunity, we not only protect our own families but also help safeguard those who are most vulnerable in our communities from serious and potentially fatal illnesses.
You can check out the symptoms of meningitis on the NHS website.
