June 12, 2026 - 185 views
Young people across Wales will be offered protection against Meningococcal B (MenB) for the first time this year as part of a new vaccination programme announced by the Welsh Government.
The time-limited programme will begin in July and run until December 2026, following a number of MenB outbreaks across the UK, including an unprecedented outbreak among students at the University of Kent earlier this year.
MenB is the leading cause of invasive meningococcal disease in the UK and can cause meningitis and sepsis, both of which can become life-threatening within hours.
Health experts say teenagers and young adults are at greater risk of infection, particularly those entering university or residential further education settings where close social mixing is common.
The vaccination programme will be available to all 17 and 18-year-olds born between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008, as well as people aged between 18 and 25 who are entering higher education or residential further education for the first time this autumn, including international students.
The vaccine will be offered as a two-dose course.
Eligible 17 and 18-year-olds will begin receiving invitation letters from their health board from July 6, while older students entering higher or further education for the first time will be able to contact their health board from July 20 for further information.
Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health Nerys Evans said: “Meningococcal B is a rare but extremely serious disease that can progress quickly and devastate young lives.
“Following recent outbreaks across the UK, the Welsh Government has acted decisively 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, described the vaccine as safe and effective and encouraged eligible young people to come forward for both doses before the new academic year begins.
Dr Christopher Johnson, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, said students heading to university for the first time face an increased risk of infection as they meet and mix with new groups of people.
He said receiving both doses before starting university would provide the best possible protection against a disease that can cause serious illness and, in some cases, death.
