UK Offers 1 Million Young People MenB Vaccine After 21-Case Kent Outbreak

1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 11

A one-off MenB campaign will offer two vaccine doses to about 1 million people aged 17-25 in England, Wales and Scotland before the 2026 autumn term, targeting school leavers and first-time university or residential college entrants.
21 confirmed cases and two deaths in Kent in March — alongside smaller clusters in Weymouth and Reading — drove the move, with officials warning the pattern may signal a shift toward higher meningitis B activity.
July and August appointments in England will run through community pharmacies, while Wales and Scotland also begin in July; Northern Ireland is expected to launch a similar programme later.
MenB spreads through close contact and shared living, making new students a higher-risk group; officials said the infant Bexsero programme has cut disease by about 75%, and experts are weighing a wider routine rollout.