Back to School: Why a Meningitis B vaccine is top of my list this year

September 2026 is a back-to-school milestone for our family, as our youngest begins year thirteen and we start to imagine life beyond the school run: holidays in June and September, no more parents’ evenings or awards breakfasts, and the end of the impossible last-minute craft project. Gingham dresses and Smiggle stationery have been replaced by sixth-form blazers and student apps, and Biff, Chip and Floppy swapped for the Iliad. But some things never change.  The back-to-school list still needs ticking off; a new bag, new shoes, new trousers, and this year’s new essential: the meningitis B vaccine.

Why this is suddenly on everyone’s list

Meningococcal group B bacteria (MenB for short) can cause serious, life-threatening illness, meningitis and sepsis being the two we all dread hearing about. Fortunately, it’s not easily caught from a passing hello; it needs close, sustained contact to pass between people, but it’s the kind of contact that comes with student life: sharing a kitchen in halls, sharing drinks or vapes at a party, or simply kissing someone at freshers’ week. It can also spread within a household, which is exactly why families like ours are paying attention before our daughter leaves for university.

Once someone picks up the bacteria, it can take anywhere from two days to a week before symptoms show, and the way it presents varies from a rapid, frightening deterioration to something that starts almost like a mild cold. That unpredictability is a big part of why prevention matters so much more than trying to catch it early.

Why students especially

Freshers aren’t more likely to get meningitis B because they’re careless; they’re at higher risk because of the environment they’re stepping into. New living arrangements, new social circles, close quarters in halls, and all the shared cups, kisses and late nights that come with genuinely enjoying university life all raise the chance of exposure. The numbers back this up: first-year students living away from home face a risk of meningococcal disease around seven times higher than other young people who aren’t at university, and after infancy, 18 to 19-year-olds are the age group most affected.

That’s why, from July 2026, the NHS has launched a one-off national MenB vaccination programme through participating pharmacies. It’s free for anyone born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008, and also free for anyone born on or after 21 July 2001 who is starting university, or moving into residential further education, for the first time this autumn. If your teenager fits either of those, it’s well worth getting in touch with a local pharmacy, checking the NHS app, or asking their GP.

Why we’re going private

Our daughter was born in 2009, so she won’t start university until 2027, a year outside this autumn’s free NHS window. Rather than wait and risk her going into her final year of sixth form, and then her first year at university, unprotected, we’re booking her in privately now.  The vaccine’s protection lasts for at least five years, which means having it done now covers her right through sixth form and her time at university. 

Two doses, not one

The MenB vaccine (brand name Bexsero) is given as two doses, at least four weeks apart. It then takes around two further weeks after the second dose for the body to build up solid protection, so the earlier you start the course, the better, ideally well before term begins rather than during freshers’ week itself.

Is it safe? Yes, and side effects are usually mild

Bexsero isn’t a live vaccine, so it cannot give anyone meningitis. Millions of doses have been given safely in the UK since it was introduced for babies in 2015, and serious reactions are very rare. What you might notice is much less dramatic: a sore or tender arm at the injection site, some tiredness, a headache, or occasionally mild muscle aches or a slight temperature for a day or so afterwards. These usually settle within 24 to 48 hours, and taking paracetamol can help if needed.

“Didn’t they already have a meningitis jab at school?”

This is the question I get asked most.  Most teenagers had the MenACWY vaccine at school, usually in Year 9 or 10. That’s a different vaccine altogether – it protects against four other strains of meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W and Y), not against group B. Having had MenACWY doesn’t mean your teenager is covered for MenB; the two vaccines work alongside each other rather than replacing one another. If it’s been a while since school and you’re not sure MenACWY was ever done  – or your teenager is travelling somewhere that requires it, such as for Hajj or Umrah, or through parts of sub-Saharan Africa – it’s worth asking about that one too. Makewell offers travel vaccinations alongside the meningitis B service, so we can check what your teenager actually needs in one visit rather than several.

Keep your teen protected before they go

If your son or daughter isn’t covered by this year’s free NHS programme – whether because of their date of birth, their year group, or simply because their course starts a year or two from now – you can book the meningitis B vaccine privately with us at Makewell. It’s £105 per dose, with two doses needed four weeks apart, ideally completed before they head off. A small thing to arrange now, for real peace of mind later.

Book your vaccine here or call our team 01908731293

Helen Hodges

Director of Nursing and Quality.