Campaign for meningitis booster programme and ‘more affordable’ jabs

A leading charity has called for the introduction of an adolescent MenB booster programme and for ‘fair’ pricing for private MenB vaccinations on the high street.

As meningitis cases in 15–24 year olds rise, Meningitis Now has set out its ‘No Plan B for MenB’ campaign, first launched in March 2025 and reinvigorated ahead of the next academic year.

Latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that cases of bacterial meningitis have risen since the same period last year, with MenB accounting for over 80% of cases and 20% of those occurring in the 15-24 age bracket.

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Meningitis is an infection of the meninges that can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

The MenB vaccine was introduced for infants as part of the NHS immunisation schedule in 2015 – the group most at risk of MenB disease. Babies receive three doses of the vaccines at two months, four months and 12 months old.

However, the vaccine was not introduced for teenagers and young people – the second most vulnerable group to MenB disease.

Meningitis Now has called for a MenB booster programme to protect adolescents, starting in 2030, when the first cohort to receive the vaccine as babies turn 15.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) decided the MenB vaccine was not cost effective for adolescents at the time they introduced it for infants, but Meningitis Now argue it ‘is cost-effective when you consider the devastation meningitis can cause’ and that it was ‘vital that we protect this at-risk age group’.

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The charity has also demanded availability of the MenB vaccine on the high street at a ‘fair price’. The current cost of vaccinating one person privately – which requires two doses – is around £220, depending on the provider.

Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: ‘It is vital that young people know what to do in a meningitis emergency – but vaccination is the only way to prevent meningitis.

‘MenB is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in young people in the UK, and cases are on the rise. Despite this, young people are not currently offered the lifesaving MenB vaccine, leaving thousands unprotected.’

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Professor Claire Anderson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president, said the RPS would ‘welcome effort to ensure more people are protected’ against MenB.

‘If made available more widely, pharmacy teams are well placed to support vaccination delivery in the community. But as with every additional service, pharmacy teams must be given the right resources, workforce support and funding to deliver it safely and sustainably,’ she added.