Free NHS meningitis jab available for some teenagers – what you need to know

The MenB vaccine has been added to the UK NHS childhood vaccination program for babies born on or after 1 July 2015. This vaccine is now offered to all babies.

However, this means that teenagers and young adults over the age of 11 do not receive this vaccine.

Young babies are vaccinated because they are more likely to get invasive infections than other age groups and their bodies are less likely to fight them off.

However, research suggests that the MenB vaccine does not necessarily prevent person-to-person transmission of infection, does not target all different types of B bacteria, and does not provide long-term protection.

Vaccine experts in the UK have therefore concluded that it is not cost-effective to offer the MenB vaccine to all adolescents.

But they are asking everyone who is eligible to come forward and get vaccinated as it can prevent serious illness.

Around 10,000 people in the Kent region will have already been vaccinated as part of the response to the outbreak in March.