Meningitis Information Posted or Updated on 18 Mar 2026

We are aware of the recent meningitis B (MenB) outbreak in Kent and understand this may be worrying for parents. The MenB vaccine was introduced into the routine NHS childhood vaccination schedule in September 2015 and is given to babies at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 1 year of age. This means that children born before mid-2015 will not routinely have received the MenB vaccine unless they were in a specific clinical risk group. MenB vaccination is not part of the school-based immunisation programme, so older children and teenagers are not usually vaccinated. In most cases, children born after this date will have been offered the vaccine as part of their routine childhood immunisations, and if your child is up to date with these, they are likely to have received appropriate protection in line with current NHS guidance.

The NHS does not offer the MenB vaccine outside of the routine programme or specific clinical risk groups, so we are not able to provide it on request. Some families may wish to explore private vaccination options. Any changes to the national immunisation schedule or additional vaccination recommendations will be communicated to GP practices by NHS vaccination services, and we will contact eligible patients directly if required.

If, after reading the above, you are still unsure or have specific concerns, you can contact the practice by completing an admin triage form and a member of the team will review your query. If your child is unwell or you are concerned about symptoms, please seek urgent medical advice in the usual way.