Men B vaccination for teenagers

[Rumors1]

My DD is 18 and will be going to uni in a couple of months- commuting so not residential. I very ignorantly did not realise that my children were not vaccinated against Men B. I knew they had meningitis vaccinations but after researching realised it was ACWY.

A young woman (18 or 19) in the town I live died recently from this and there is a report in the papers about a 17 year old dying.

I remember last year it was in the news about a town in England (Kent maybe) where there was an outbreak.
I also have 2 boys 15 and almost 17 in secondary. I am considering having DD and probably the boys privately vaccinated.
There seems to be few side effects however I see it only protects for about 18 months.

Just wondering if anyone did this, I dont know if I am overreacting!

Why would you be overreacting? The vaccination exists because there is a risk.

I opened this post as my daughter came home from a sleepover at her friend’s early this weekend because the friends 22yo cousin died from meningitis. The family thought it was the flu. I’ll be getting mine vaccinated, no question.

Has your daughter not been sent an invite to get the vaccine? My daughter (same age as yours) has. We’re in Wales maybe different trusts and health boards are doing things differently though.

And btw you’re not overreacting. If mine weren’t entitled to the vaccine I’d do my best to pay privately for it.

Not an overreaction. My 14 year got a men b jab at school last week.

Got my two at Uni vaccinated privately. No regrets.

Everyone starting uni this September will get the Men B vaccine from the NHS this summer.

I paid to have my son vaccinated against this strain when he was younger as it wasn’t in the vaccination programme the lo and he wasn’t entitled to it.

Hi
absolutely not overreacting! I thought that anyone heading off to uni this year was being offered vaccinations?
my 17 yo son is off to a festival and I’ve had him vaccinated, it’s just not worth the risk in my opinion. If he has 2 does it lasts for 3 years but even after the first it covers him, the second I assume is just the booster and has to be done around 6 months from now.

Yes I just had my 15 and almost 18 year olds privately vaccinated against MenB and am happy with my decision. I don’t consider it over reacting. It’s a genuine risk and only finances that mean that all at risk groups aren’t receiving it as part of the vaccine schedule. My 2 only required a booster dose as they had the vaccine privately when it first became available around 10 years ago. They had no side effects.

We’re in Scotland and the Scottish Government have just announced that they will offer the MenB vaccine to the following groups:

young people born between 1 March 2008 and 28 February 2009, and any others who were in S6 during the 2025-26 academic year, regardless of future education plans

undergraduate university entrants under the age of 25 who are starting for the first time in the academic year 2026-27, including international students

college entrants under 25 starting for the first time in the academic year 2026-27 while living away from home in shared student accommodation, including international students.

My younger child wouldn’t be eligible for the “free” vaccine.

I’m signing my Ds18 up for it once we’re back from holiday.

Several years we had a first year die of meningitis at the university I work at.

When mine went to uni the acwy wasn't available on the NHS so I paid for it.
Definitely worth doing if you can

I would vaccinate your DD, pay for it privately at boots/superdrug etc.
I will be doing this for my DD in a year or two when she’s in 6th form so that she’s protected if she goes to uni if they’re not offering it on the NHS by then

Thanks for all the messages. We are in Ireland and it only being offered to younger children as part of the vaccination schedule. They got the boosters of ACWY in 1st year.

This one seems like a no-brainer to me. My daughter will be going to uni in a year, she will absolutely be vaccinated against any strain of meningitis that has a vaccine. I was taking to one of the medics within a University team, and she noted that apart from the epidemiology of meningitis which makes it prevalent in university settings, there is an additional ‘human nature” aspect that adds to the problem. We can warn our young people, make them aware of the risks and symptoms etc, but in their first years away from home they can be rather more cavalier with their health. Young people generally think “it won’t happen to me” and for the first time in their lives they don’t have the watchful eye of their parents who know them very well and can spot changes in their health that might otherwise be written off.

What worries me is that the symptoms start the same as a run of the mill virus/flu but can progress very quickly to death.
The girl in the town went to bed feeling unwell and died during the night. Its scary how fast the progression is.

DD started uni last Sept. I didn't get her vaccinated for Men B before she started as there were so many other things to organise it kind of fell off my radar, but after the outbreak in Kent earlier this year I paid for her to have the vaccine privately. It was expensive but I believe absolutely worth it. I'm sure I read it lasts for 3 years.

Op from July 14 most teens of age will be offered the jabs free as a one off .
This is only for the uni age crowd

Also the Comms around these jabs are hugely confusing and appalling many people feel they have covered their DC but they have not.