June 12 2026

Vaccination teams at the health board are working on plans to offer the Meningitis B vaccine to eligible young people in North Wales

View the Welsh Government announcement about Meningitis B vaccination

MenB vaccinations will be offered to eligible patients at our community vaccination centres from July 20 onwards. Please do not contact your GP surgery or our school immunisation teams to request the MenB vaccine as they will be unable to offer it.

The following groups will be offered proactive vaccination against Meningitis B during this campaign:

• All 17 and 18 year olds born between September 1 2007 and August 31 2008
  We will send all eligible patients a letter to invite them to an appointment at one of our community vaccination centres in early July. Appointments will take place from July 20 onwards. 
• Young people born between January 1 2002 and August 31 2007 who will begin a university or residential college course for the first time this autumn – ie freshers aged 24 or under, but not returning students in second or later years
  These patients will be invited to contact the health board to attend a clinic or arrange vaccination from July 20 onwards. We will provide more information about opportunities for this group to receive MenB vaccines shortly.

At this time MenB vaccination will be offered to these groups only, following recommendations from the Welsh Government. The campaign will run for a limited time, with all first doses by December 31.

For full protection, two doses of the vaccine are required. These will usually be offered four weeks apart.

If you need to reschedule an appointment, please follow the guidance on the your invitation letter.

Further information is available here, including Frequently Asked Questions for young people.
 

About meningitis 

We recommend that young people, parents and families familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of meningitis and sepsis.

These conditions can progress rapidly from mild symptoms to severe illness. Babies, young children, teenagers and young adults (especially those in close-contact settings like colleges and universities) are at higher risk.
 

Vaccination against meningitis

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by a number of different types of bacteria. Several vaccinations in the routine vaccination schedule in Wales offer protection against different strains of meningitis.

Outside of this targeted programme announced by the Welsh Government, the MenB vaccine is currently not routinely offered to children aged over two years or adults through the NHS in Wales. Please do not contact your GP surgery, our vaccination centres or school immunisation teams to request the MenB vaccine.

MenACWY vaccination is usually offered to children in Year 9 at clinics held in school. Children in school year 9 or above who did not receive the MenACWY vaccine in class can contact our school immunisation teams to arrange to catch up. Please see further details about Vaccinations for young people below.

For the best protection against preventable illness, it is vital that children and young people are fully vaccinated.

NHS vaccinations offered in Wales are based on recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the Welsh Government. Details of the routine NHS vaccination schedule in Wales are available here.
 

Frequently asked questions about meningitis vaccination

This page will be kept under review and will be updated as new information becomes available.