We have received queries about meningitis vaccines following recent reports of meningitis cases in parts of the UK, and more specifically West Berkshire. We have published advice for patients about meningitis vaccination following recent reports of meningitis cases. This explains the current NHS routine vaccination criteria, of who is eligible for MenB and MenACWY vaccines, and what to do if you are concerned about symptoms or vaccination status.
UKHSA, the UK’s national Public Health organisation, and its local teams are managing meningitis cases locally and will proactively and directly inform close contacts if antibiotics, vaccination or further advice are needed.
At present, there has been no change to national NHS vaccination guidance and GP practices have not been asked to vaccinate patients outside the routine NHS vaccination programme.
Routine NHS meningitis vaccine eligibility
MenB vaccine
The MenB vaccine is routinely offered to babies as part of the NHS childhood immunisation schedule (introduced in 2015)
It is given at:
- 8 weeks
- 12 weeks
- 1 year
Children up to 2 years old can have ‘catch up’ immunisation, but after this age, MenB is not routinely offered on the NHS to older children, teenagers or adults unless they are in a specific clinical risk group, or have been identified by public health teams as part of an outbreak response. Ordinarily, 2 vaccinations are given, 4 weeks apart, and it takes 2-4 weeks after the second vaccination to reach peak immunity.
MenACWY vaccine
- The MenACWY vaccine is routinely offered to young people in school Year 9, usually age 13 to 14.
- If this vaccine was missed, it can usually still be given on the NHS up to the age of 25.
- MenACWY does not protect against all types of meningitis, including MenB.
Further advice & information
If you are unsure whether your child has had the correct vaccines, please contact the Child Health Immunisation Service on 0300 365 0077 or 0300 561 1851 so their vaccination history can be checked.
The practice can only offer NHS vaccines where the patient meets the routine NHS eligibility criteria.
Private vaccination
If you or your child do not meet the NHS eligibility criteria, but still wish to have a meningitis vaccine, this would need to be arranged privately, for example, through a local pharmacy or private travel vaccination provider.
When to seek urgent help
The overall risk to the public at present is low, but it is important that patients are vigilant and aware as to what to look out for.
Please seek urgent medical attention if you or someone you are with develops symptoms of meningitis or sepsis. Symptoms may include a high temperature, severe headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, drowsiness, or a rash that does not fade when pressed.
Call 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department if symptoms are severe or worsening; meningitis needs immediate emergency treatment. Do not wait for all symptoms to appear.
Further information
NHS meningitis advice: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/
NHS vaccination schedule: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/
MenACWY vaccine: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/menacwy-vaccine/
MenB vaccine: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/menb-vaccine-for-children/