UK recommends MenB vaccine for all 15-year-olds following largest outbreak on record

UK health experts have recommended that all 15-year-olds be offered the meningococcal B vaccine, a change from previous advice. The recommendation follows the country's largest-ever MenB outbreak in Kent in March, which resulted in two deaths. The UK government will now consider the proposal. A MenB vaccine has been offered to babies since 2015, but adolescents are not currently part of the routine programme.

Kent MenB outbreak

• ▪Two people died in the March MenB outbreak in Kent.
• ▪In March, a meningococcal B (MenB) outbreak in Kent, southeast England, was described by health authorities as the largest and fastest-growing ever seen in Britain.

Vaccine recommendation change

• ▪The UK government will now consider the recommendation before making any changes to national vaccination programmes.
• ▪The committee stated that vaccinating teenagers at 15 would provide protection during the years they are at higher risk from the disease.
• ▪On July 16, 2026, an expert committee changed its previous advice, recommending all 15-year-olds in Britain be offered the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine.
• ▪The change in advice was based on updated evidence of vaccine effectiveness, uncertainties about future disease levels, recent outbreaks, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Existing infant vaccination programme

• ▪Since 2015, the UK has offered a vaccine against meningococcal B disease to babies.
• ▪Adolescents in Britain are not routinely vaccinated against meningitis B.
• ▪The expert committee described the MenB vaccine given to infants as "highly effective".

University student vaccination campaign

• ▪Meningococcal B disease tends to affect students disproportionately due to close and prolonged contact in halls of residence and at social events.
• ▪In June, UK health authorities offered a one-off vaccination programme for 17- and 18-year-olds and under-25s starting university.

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