Should 17-18 year olds get a catch-up MenB vaccine before university?

[Strandlover]

Vaccination for meningitis B has been on the schedule for babies since 2015 - but those currently at university were born before this so won't have had this vaccination apart from if someone has organised and paid for them to have it privately. (Only on Mumsnet have I ever known that this is a thing)
Given the tragic turn of events in Uni of Kent this weekend, should all 17-18-year-olds be offered this vaccine as a catch up before they head off to university?
(NB Don't know if this vaccine would have prevented this particular outbreak but I still feel that it's not fair to this cohort of kids who go off unprotected from a disease that younger children are now routinely vaccinated against)

My child is now 14 and missed the men b vaccine in usual vaccines as was 5 when it was introduced . I am a nurse working in the NHS. I paid privately for him to have it it’s more than worth it! I had to save I don’t have spare cash laying around but felt it worth it

@Sunshineandrainbow I definitely would if she’s around small children.

I paid for both of my DS to have Men B vaccines when they started 6th form. It was expensive, the exDH refused to contribute, but I thought it was a good idea.

But then surely parents also know what could happen if they don’t vaccinate their child. How about asking why they don’t sign the form, write vile emails to schools about the vaccinations and taking some responsibility. Why does everything fall in schools. I have worked in the NHS and believe me schools are under far more pressure, with less funding.

Now that we know which strain it is and that this age group aren't protected, I think there should be a national vaccination campaign. But, failing that, I will be paying for my 18-year-old DS to get it before he heads off to uni this autumn.

Just listening to someone v good on Times radio. Will come back to the thread to see what people say.

There is no vaccination programme because simply the government does not think it is worth it economically. This kind of meningitis is a pretty rare condition and the numbers do not make it ‘worth it’ for the NHS to vaccinate all young adults. I got my kids to have it after discussion with other parents, it was a word-of-mouth thing. It’s another example of inequality. For each of us as individual parents, it’s worth it.

From what I’ve read though, immunity from the vaccine doesn’t last beyond a few years, so it sounds like anyone vaccinated as a baby won’t have enough protection from the vaccine by the time they are a teen

No people aren’t living under a rock.

I think I must have misunderstood something here with them confirming that it is MenB. I thought it was known that MenB is the risk especially given the other meningitis strains have been given as a vacc for a long time? This is why I think the reporting is not good. People think their children are ok because they have Men ACWY but it’s B that causes these outbreaks and the deaths.

£220 privately is a lot of money, many won’t be able to afford it but yet again it’s a cost benefit analysis by the NHS although I wonder how recently this has been done given how many now go to uni.

It shouldn’t just be for uni going students, many 18 year olds who stay at home, or start work are out snogging, if it is rolled out for older teens it should be for all.

Can’t see it happening right now in the current financial climate.

An interesting article. From 2016 though so quite old.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/what-meningitis-b-–-and-why-don’t-older-children-get-vaccine

The children being vaccinated as babies will need a booster as late teens.

I agree (after spending £440 getting twins vaccinated before uni) but the government won't agree because of the cost.

World Health Organisation recommends chicken pox as part of countries vaccine schedules and Australia and US give this jab for free but UK does not because of the cost.

I got my older DD vaccinated for MenB in 2016 at Boots. Just double-checked her red book. She will be starting A-Levels next year, so I am going to take her for a booster soon. I didn't realise it was only effective for such a short time, though the advice on how long seems mixed.

Yes they absolutely should.

When I was at uni we had a mumps outbreak. I was born at a time before the MMR was a standard vaccine. I'd been part of the catch up schedule at 11ish I think but only got one lot of the vaccine as did most of my age group.

The NHS put on a massive catch up session for all who wanted it - you went to the uni health centre regardless of whether you were registered there, handed in your uni ID card and got jabbed. (Of course whilst waiting you had a form to fill in and an info sheet to read). The queue was absolutely enormous so the uptake was clearly very high.

I paid privately for my DC to have the menB vaccines when they were 6. They turn 16 in June.

There’s very little information about whether boosters are needed, does anyone know?

@bignewprinz you’re in the same predicament as me.

2016 here too, and DTwins turning 16 in June. I can’t work out if a booster is needed. Research suggests it’s only effective for a maximum of 5 years.

There’s very little information about whether boosters are needed, does anyone know?

@RockinRoberta I'd also like to know, because checking DS1's vaccine record (he was born OS), he received 3 doses of MenB vaccine as a baby. So does he need a booster now before he goes to uni? I think I'm going to ask the GP. I'll report back ...

@zurigo please do 🙂 .

Message sent to GP. We have a great email system with our surgery and usually get answers pretty quickly.

@zurigo I’ve been reading over the thread and a poster has posted a link to a study which shows that whilst the vaccine wanes over time, not all immune memory is depleted.

A booster again boosts immunity. There is so little research. However, I can’t see how 10 years between vaccines would cause any issues by boosting, so I’m going to book my DTwins in before college.

I had contemplated calling ours but I was 22nd in the queue!

Let us know when you get a response. 🙂

Babies have started being vaccinated against this now

The chicken pox vaccine is also not particularly effective. My DS had it (because the OS country where he was born does give it), and he caught it at nursery and had a really bad case of it.

Yes also word of mouth for me too. One of the other 6th form parents had kids at uni already and spread the word.