The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its first interim report on MenB vaccine coverage for the 2025/26 school year 13 cohort, revealing that 26.6% of eligible individuals had received their first dose by 20 September 2026. This equates to 212,549 vaccinated out of 799,840 eligible young people.
The UKHSA is concerned that many young people, particularly freshers, are still unprotected against meningococcal disease. They are urging all eligible individuals to get two doses of the vaccine, as this is essential for protection, with doses needing to be at least 28 days apart.
A national one-off MenB vaccination offer was introduced in July 2026 for young adults, targeting those in school year 13 during the 2025/26 academic year, and those under 25 starting university or certain further education colleges with accommodation in autumn 2026. Data indicates that first-year university students are at an increased risk of meningococcal disease, with their risk approximately seven times higher than young people of a similar age not attending university.
Dr. Sharif Ismail, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, highlighted that outbreaks in Kent, Dorset, and Berkshire this year tragically caused three deaths and left some survivors with life-long health consequences. He also noted that recent genomic studies show how suddenly and unpredictably dangerous new strains of Meningitis B can emerge, meaning similar outbreaks could occur again.
The report also found variations in vaccine uptake, with young women more likely to have received the first dose than men (31.5% compared to 21.9%). Coverage also differed significantly by region, deprivation, and ethnic group.