Do children vaccinated for MenB as babies need a teenage booster?

[EvangelicalAboutButteredToast]

I was reading about the latest outbreak of MenB in Kent and was thinking that those young people hadn’t had the MenB vaccine as part of their NHS immunisations and kind of squared it in my head that children from 2015 who had those vaccinations would have some protection.

However having read a BBC article about the subject it stated that those vaccinations were really only for while the children were very young and susceptible and only lasts a few years. Which leads me to wonder if a further vaccination is required when the children reach 14/15? I’ve read about the MenACWY vaccination that seems to be being offered to teenagers but is that still on offer if the children received the vaccination when babies?

Im confused about it and wonder if anyone was more clued up about it?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3rzg0vg947o

My DC narrowly missed the Men B vax. I had to get him vaccinated privately. Even though I have since read it lasts a couple of years (nothing was said about this at the time), a booster later on is not on the NHS vaccine schedule.

In year 9 teens have the MenACWY vaccine. Unless the government roll out Men B vaccines to teens (which I think they should do) then I'll be getting mine vaccinated privately for Men B in sixth form.

No point trying to do anything now as I believe stocks of the vaccine have run out.

I am mad too, that teens and young adults are not a priority. People have been campaigning long before the tragic events of this weekend.

Pensioners are vaccinated for 'flu, shingles, pneumococcal, RSV, Covid, etc. Which other age groups don't routinely receive protection against.

Surely teenagers are just as at risk of the serious consequences of MenB as pensioners are from those illnesses, if not more at risk.

My daughter (now 15) was vaccinated against Men B privately when she was about 5 in 2016 (2 dose course). I didn't realise she needed another booster, so will that protection now be completely worn off?

Because
‘Some people carry the various types of meningitis B bacteria harmlessly in their nose and throat. They don't get sick, but can spread it to others who may.
It is estimated around one in four teenagers and young people carry meningitis-causing bacteria in the back of their throats.
‘The MenB vaccine is not great at preventing that transmission, even if it is a good match for the strain carried.
‘And the vaccine does not protect for a particularly long time, which is why advisers to the government - the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - determined the MenB vaccine was not cost-effective for teens.
Protection lasts for several years but is not considered lifelong, say experts.’
(from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3rzg0vg947o)

We paid for our daughter to have it done when she was 7, so 7 years ago now, do they need a top up?

My youngest was born in 2015 so got the vaccine. My eldest was born in 2011, so she didn’t. I paid for her to be vaccinated at Boots, I think she was around 7 years old. I had no idea it was short acting. I wasn’t informed of this.

Same boat. Dd was vaccinated at 2 privately. She’s 12 now and I don’t know if I should pay for another top up

No one mentioned it was short acting at the time when I paid for it either (my daughter also just missed the cut-off for the catch up roll out)

I’m really embarrassed that I don’t know more about this. Of course meningitis is a worry and at the first sign of either of mine being unwell I always check for rashes. I have one in year 9, born 2011 so didn’t get the jab as a baby. And one born after 2015 so think they should have had it routinely?

We aren’t near Kent but I am worried. This will spread. It feels a bit like Covid all over again. How worried are you all about school age kids? Is there anything we should be doing?

I read that there are peaks of meningitis in the ages 0-4 and then 15-19, so they seem to be the age groups most of risk.

I also read in many cases, there is no rash, but other symptoms such as blinding headache, stiff neck, seizures, drowsiness may occur.

This isn't like covid, it's certainly not as transmissible.

I remember there being outbreaks of meningitis when I was at uni in the 90's, it's nothing new and has always happened. Mainly as students do live in quite close quarters and have a tendency too snogge more people.

The only difference now is there is a vaccine and it would have been a bit more wise for the government to have offered vaccination to students starting university maybe 🤔.

It seems that in early 2025 France had exceptionally high numbers of cases of meningitis, including clusters around Lyon university . In 2024, France had the highest number of cases since 2010. Since France is well connected to the Uk , it seems strange that we have not had some better contingency plans in place since then, given that we presumably share public health information.

The manufacturer’s clinical trials showed that immunity did wane - within 3 years in those vaccinated as young children, and within 7.5 years in those vaccinated from age 11 onwards. However it did not entirely disappear, and was rapidly returned to an excellent level of immunity with a single booster dose.

The Oxford Vaccine Group are currently trialling a new and (provisionally) better MenB vaccine. They are also looking into the usefulness and timing of boosters for the current (Bexsero) vaccine. When that research will bear fruit in the real world I do not know.

Must admit I do feel slightly ripped off now.

But I would still have paid even with this knowledge, to make the children equally protected.

Would I have paid for them both to have it if it wasn't on the NHS roll out? I'm not sure.

So they need another one when they are 14/15 but that would need to be private too?

Ok.

You have to remember that, despite this outbreak, MenB is really rare. In 2023/24, there were 341 cases and 8 deaths. That is tiny in a population of 70 million.

And it has always been a thing - I was at uni in the late 90s and there was an outbreak, I think maybe Bournemouth or Southampton, and we were all told what symptoms to look for.

Thank you, this is useful.

And RSV programme being extended to all over 80’s from 1st April. No wonder we all living so long.

There should at least be some campaign to ensure all students going to university are vaccinated as they live and work in such close proximity that an outbreak is high risk.

I agree about vaccinating the age range but should not be limited to people at university. People of the similar age range who do not choose to go to university (often because of financial constraints) are often living in house shares, working in crowded bars/ restaurants and socialising in busy pubs and so on. It would be horribly unfair if university students were given priority over their peers just for the privilege of attending university.

Worryingly I checked my ds vaccination record on his NHS app yesterday and there is no record of the year 9 Men ACWY! He like your dc was vaccinated privately for Men B, but he was 7 years old then. We will have to wait to get him a booster because as you say stocks will be tightly controlled at the moment, but I’m going to have to chase up the Men ACWY with the GP, the weird thing is I seem to remember him having it 🤔

Meningitis at uni is not new. When I went in 2013 there were posters up about symptoms to look for and to keep an eye out for each other and try to keep things clean etc.
I think the key issue with this particular outbreak is the speed of transmission and the amount of spread which is why there is concern.
They will be looking closely at what has caused that and will no doubt review the vaccine programme when they know enough to do so.
I understand why the NHS offer a limited vaccination service. They have to make the most difference possible with a limited pot of money. It's a harsh reality and an unfortunate one but is inevitable in any publicly funded system.
I personally paid to get my kids vaccinated against chickenpox before I was available on the NHS. I did not want them to ensure a painful illness that there was a safe and effective vaccine for. It also saved me a lot of lost earnings as I'd have to have taken time out of work when there was exclusion periods from childcare.
I will probably pay for various other private vaccinations for them throughout their life if I think it would benefit them. I am not wealthy by any means at all (single parent and working on public sector) but do realise it's a privilege to afford these things
I think personally if you can afford to vaccinate your children privately then do so. Prioritise it over holidays or games consoles etc. the more protected we are as a society the less things will circulate and the the more protected even those who can't pay for vaccinations will be.

It is sad that financial privilege buys health but is the reality. I would be happy to pay a much higher tax rate to have a better health service but that's not the opinion of the masses.

Right now those that are outside of seriously at risk groups and outside the areas affected by the outbreak should refrain from panic and let vaccine stocks be used for those most at risk.

Once normality resumes, please if you can. Vaccinate your young people.

My DD is 15 and I was just saying to her I’ll pay for her to have it privately before she goes off to university if they haven’t rolled it out to teens by then.
We are a long way from Kent so don’t feel she’s at risk from this outbreak at the moment.
It is annoying that this hasn’t been prioritised for all teens though

I understand they can’t immunise everyone for everything, but they could make the guidelines clearer.
I was going to get DD done for uni but I think I might do it earlier.

As rare as it is I know 2 people who had when I was young. One recovered and one got brain damage and has been in home for 30 years.

No teenagers are not at equal risk, older people are, which is why they are vaccinated.

Just as babies are given different vaccines to adults.

You need different vaccines when you travel.

@LouLou198our situation is quite similar. DS was born two weeks too early in 2015 to get it as part of routine vaccinations so I had him and DD (born 2011) done privately.

Checked with a GP friend earlier this week who asked her practice’s immunisations team. Their advice was that if a child had had two doses as an infant/ 4yo they wouldn’t need any more now. This contradicts what I’d read in The Times about it only lasting five years but as it’s from medical professionals it gives me some comfort.