The UK Government has announced there will be a vaccination programme to protect certain students from meningococcal B disease (“MenB”). In the case of international students, it will be for both the following groups:
- Undergraduates attending university for the first time in Autumn 2026
- Students who will be living in further education accommodation or halls of residence for the first time in Autumn 2026
There is an age limit. For both groups, your 25th birthday must be after 31 December 2026.
MenB disease is life-threatening, and there were more clusters than normal in 2026, so a vaccination programme is welcome.
Cases tend to peak in October and November each year, and are highest among young people starting university.
The vaccination requires two doses. The second dose must be a minimum of four weeks after the first one. After the second dose, it takes another two weeks to build good immunity. For that reason, the Government is suggesting that if you are an international student who has not come to the UK yet, then you will be better protected if you have at least the first dose before you leave your home country. However, they also know that MenB vaccines are not readily available in all countries, so if that is not possible then both the first dose and the second dose can be given to you in the UK.
If you are an international student who has not come to the UK yet, we suggest you do some research now to find out whether the MenB vaccine is available in your home country. The name of the vaccine that will be used in the UK is Bexsero.
MenB vaccinations given in the UK will be free of charge.
You can read more about plans for the vaccination programme in this blog from the UK Health Security Agency.
