Offer teenagers a meningitis B vaccine on NHS, advisers tell UK government

All teenagers across the UK should be offered a meningitis vaccine on the NHS following a series of fatal outbreaks, a government commitee has said.

The recommendation, made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), would mean that young people would be eligible for the menB vaccine at the age of 15, alongside catch-up programmes for those who otherwise would have missed out.

This intervention follows several meningitis outbreaks occurring across the UK, resulting in dozens of confirmed cases alongside several deaths. In March, a major outbreak in Kent linked to a Canterbury nightclub killed two people and left over a dozen needing hospital treatment, while a similar outbreak in Berkshire in May led to the death of a school student.

Specifically, the committee is recommending that the government introduces a booster jab for those aged around 15 who had the menB jab as an infant, and the first cohort to which this will apply to are those who will turn 15 in 2030. Meanwhile, children who missed the jab as a baby will be offered two doses.

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Source: The Guardian, 16 July 2026