UK launches free MenB vaccine programme for university students

The UK’s National Health Service is beginning a free MenB vaccination programme aimed at students entering university for the first time in autumn 2026. Eligibility applies to young people born on or after 21 July 2001, regardless of whether they have turned 18, and requires proof of university enrolment such as a UCAS offer or acceptance email.

The programme recommends two doses of the MenB vaccine, spaced at least 28 days apart, to provide lasting protection against meningococcal group B disease, which can cause meningitis and septicaemia. Appointments can be booked at participating pharmacies, GP surgeries, walk‑in centres, or university health services, and vaccine records should be checked beforehand. Those who received the MenB infant vaccine in 2015 are already protected and are not the primary target of the catch‑up scheme.