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Meningococcal group B (MenB) vaccine - MenB vaccine information for health professionals

Meningococcal is a notifiable disease, which most commonly presents as either meningitis or septicaemia, or a combination of both,. In the UK, meningococcal infection is most often caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group B, although other serogroups can also cause disease. The incidence of invasive meningococcal disease is highest in children under five years of age.  

The organism is spread by respiratory droplets and has an incubation period of two to seven days. 

The vaccine

Bexsero®, a four-component meningococcal B (4CMenB) protein vaccine is the recommended vaccine for the routine childhood programme. 

Bexsero® is an inactivated injectable vaccine in a pre-filled syringe presentation. Bexsero is an rDNA component adsorbed vaccine. 

The MenB vaccine is effective against serious infections caused by meningococcal group B bacteria. The vaccine may also protect against infection by capsular groups other than group B. 

The vaccine is given at:  

  • 8 weeks,  
  • 12 weeks and  
  • 12 – 13 months of age. 

Change of timing for the second dose of MenB 

The timing of the second dose of the MenB vaccine has been moved from 16 weeks to 12 weeks of age. 

In 2025, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended changes to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. According to the updated schedule, the meningococcal B vaccine (MenB) will now be given at 8 and 12 weeks of age, while the first dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) will be given at 16 weeks. 

Following a review of data, the JCVI determined that giving the MenB vaccine at 8 and 12 weeks, rather than at 8 and 16 weeks, provides earlier protection against meningococcal disease without compromising long-term immunity. 

To maintain the number of injections at each visit, the PCV dose previously administered at 12 weeks has been rescheduled to 16 weeks. Since young infants primarily benefit from indirect protection against pneumococcal disease, this change is not expected to negatively impact their immunity. 

The revised schedule is anticipated to enhance safety and may help prevent some cases of illness before the primary vaccination series is completed. 

 To find out more about these changes, go to changes to childhood immunisation schedule for health professionals page.

Updated routine childhood immunisation schedule: 

  • The first and second doses of MenB vaccine will be given at 8 and 12 weeks. 
  • The first dose of PCV will be given at 16 weeks. 

Summary of product characteristics

Schedule guidance in the Green Book, chapter 22 (external site) supersedes the SmPC.

The complete routine immunisation schedule includes information about routine and non-routine vaccinations.

Guidance

Vaccination programme recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Welsh Government policy can be found at the links below.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the UK government website (external site) – read JCVI publications and statements; search e.g. meningococcal.

Welsh Health Circulars and Welsh Government letters

Clinical resources and information

Patient group directions (PGDs) and protocols

PGD templates for vaccines can be found on the Welsh Medicines Advice Service website (external site).

Further clinical resources and information

Data and surveillance

Vaccination surveillance information can be found on the pages below:

Page last reviewed: 10th September 2025