228,297 eligible young people receive first MenB dose, UK health agency says

Sole source: Through 31 October 2026, 228,297 of 809,957 eligible people in the group described as 18- and 19-year-olds had received a first MenB vaccine dose, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in its 12 November release. That was 28.2% of the eligible group.

Of those who received a first dose, 157,169 had also received a second. The completion figure of 68.8% refers to people who had started the course, not everyone eligible.

Several MenB outbreaks in England this year caused 3 deaths, UKHSA said. Concerned about low uptake, the agency urged young people and their parents to book appointments. MenB vaccination targets group B of the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease.

Wikipedia’s background page on meningococcal vaccines describes protection from the UK MenB vaccine as lasting around three years.

Who can get the vaccine

The figures do not include uptake among older eligible new students. UKHSA says data for that group will become available in the coming months.

UKHSA says first-year university students face around 7 times the risk of meningococcal disease of similarly aged people who do not attend university, linking the difference to social mixing and other factors. UKHSA consultant epidemiologist Dr Shamez Ladhani urged young people not to wait until the holidays, saying gatherings increase mixing and the risk of the disease spreading.

Deadlines and booking

UKHSA says the free, one-off first-dose offer ends on 31 December 2026, and that two doses are essential for protection and must be given at least 28 days apart. People who receive their first dose in time can get their second under the offer until 31 March 2027.

Students can get vaccinated at local pharmacies and book through the NHS website, the