Just 212,549 out of 799,840 eligible young people in the UK had received the meningitis B vaccine by September 20, leaving vast numbers unprotected as outbreaks continue. The UK Health Security Agency warned that "similar outbreaks could occur again" after three deaths resulted from meningococcal disease this year, including two in an outbreak of 21 confirmed cases around Canterbury in March 2026.
First-year university students face roughly seven times higher risk of contracting meningococcal disease than young people the same age who do not attend university, according to the UK Health Security Agency. The close contact during freshers' week—from shared accommodation to socialising in pubs and clubs—creates ideal conditions for bacteria spread. Meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and become life-threatening within hours, potentially causing meningitis, sepsis, hearing loss, neurological damage and limb amputation in survivors.
Tiff O'Connor, who contracted meningitis B in her first year at university eight years ago, described the sudden onset of the disease. "My head was a pain that I'd never experienced before," she said. "I truly thought it was going to melt out of my ears." Doctors said her prior vaccination bought her crucial time. She was rushed to intensive care, put into a medically induced coma and treated with ice to lower her temperature while her family were told to say goodbye.
Year 13 pupils and individuals under 25 starting university can access two doses of the MenB vaccine via high street pharmacies and the NHS website. Health officials urged eligible individuals to book both doses as soon as possible, noting that while uptake is "gradually increasing", the large numbers remaining unprotected pose continued risk.