UK school leavers and new students to be offered meningitis B vaccine

A special plan will start in July after recent outbreaks of meningitis B in Kent, Dorset and Berkshire killed three people.

Published 11 June 2026 119 words
SOCIETY A1
UK school leavers and new students to be offered meningitis B vaccine

Teenagers finishing school and young people starting university in the UK will be given a vaccine. This vaccine helps protect them from meningitis B.

The vaccine will be given in July. This is because there was a big problem with meningitis B in some places. Three young people died from it in Kent, Dorset and Berkshire.

The vaccine, called Bexsero, is given two times. It protects against most types of meningitis B. Experts think it protects for at least six years. It will be offered to young people born between September 2007 and August 2008. It is also for students under 25 starting university.

Vocabulary

teenagers — young people between 13 and 19 years old
university — a place where students go to study after school
vaccine — a medicine that protects you from a disease
outbreak — when a disease happens in many people at the same time
protect — to keep someone safe from harm

Discussion Questions

  1. Who will be offered the meningitis B vaccine?
  2. When will the vaccine plan start?
  3. Why is the government offering this vaccine?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

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