Thousands of young people across North Wales are being invited for a free meningitis B (MenB) vaccination as part of a precautionary campaign ahead of the new academic year.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has sent invitation letters to more than 8,000 young people aged 17 and 18, born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008, offering appointments at one of 25 community vaccination centres across the region later this month.
The vaccine is given in two doses, with a second appointment scheduled around four weeks after the first. Health officials say receiving both doses is essential for the best possible protection against meningitis B.
The campaign follows Welsh Government guidance introduced after a meningitis B outbreak in Kent earlier this year, in which 21 people became ill and two young people died. The programme is aimed at those considered to be at the highest risk, particularly young people preparing to enter university or other residential education settings, where the infection can spread more easily through close contact.
Young people aged 18 to 25 who will be starting university or a residential further education course for the first time this autumn can also receive the vaccine. They should contact the health board’s vaccination team from 20 July to arrange an appointment.
The catch-up clinics will also provide an opportunity for eligible young people who have missed other routine vaccinations to receive them.
Meningitis B is a rare but serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis, both of which can become life-threatening very quickly. Although teenagers in Wales have routinely been offered the MenACWY vaccine since 2015, that vaccine does not protect against MenB, making this additional programme an important safeguard for eligible young people.
Anyone unable to attend their allocated appointment can rearrange it by following the instructions in their invitation letter. Further information, including frequently asked questions and contact details for vaccination teams, is available from Public Health Wales.
