Young people in Wales to be offered Men B vaccine after UK outbreaks

Nation.Cymru staff

Young people in Wales will be offered a meningococcal B (Men B) vaccine for the first time later this year following a series of outbreaks across the UK.

The Welsh Government has announced a temporary vaccination programme aimed at protecting teenagers and young adults ahead of the new academic year, after a large outbreak linked to a nightclub in Canterbury earlier this year and further clusters of cases in Dorset and Reading.

Men B is the most common cause of invasive meningococcal disease in the UK. It can cause meningitis, an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection.

Although rare, meningitis can become serious very quickly and may lead to permanent brain or nerve damage if not treated promptly.

Symptoms can include a high temperature, headache, stiff neck, vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to bright lights, cold hands and feet, muscle pain, seizures and a rash. Health experts warn that symptoms do not always appear in the same order and some may not appear at all.

The vaccination programme will run between July and December 2026.

It will be available to all 17 and 18-year-olds born between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008, as well as people aged 18 to 25 who are entering higher education or residential further education for the first time this autumn, including international students.

The vaccine will be delivered as a two-dose course.

Those aged 17 and 18 will receive invitation letters from their local health board from July 6 with details of how to book their vaccinations. Students aged 18 to 25 who are starting university or residential further education this autumn will be able to contact their health board from July 20 for further information.

Health officials say 18-year-olds face the highest risk of contracting Men B because of increased social mixing and the move into higher education.

Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said the risk rises when young people begin attending pubs, clubs and other social settings, and increases further when students from across the country come together at universities and colleges.

A Men B vaccination programme for babies was introduced across the UK in 2015, but this is the first time a wider catch-up programme has been offered to older teenagers and young adults in Wales.

Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health Nerys Evans said the programme had been introduced in response to recent cases.

“Meningococcal B is a rare but extremely serious disease that can progress quickly and devastate young lives,” she said.

“Following recent outbreaks across the UK, the Welsh Government has acted to ensure that young people in Wales will be offered this additional protection and I urge everyone who is eligible to take up their vaccination offer.”

Wales’ Chief Medical Officer, Professor Isabel Oliver, said the vaccine offered important protection and encouraged eligible young people to receive both doses before the start of the academic year.

Vulnerable

Dr Christopher Johnson, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, said: “Young people heading to university for the first time are at an elevated risk of Meningitis B, as they mix with new groups of people while enjoying their new environment.

“Having two doses of this vaccination, ideally before they depart for university, will give them the best protection against this infection, which can cause such serious illness.”