MenACWY vaccination for teenagers and students
Meningococcal disease is caused by meningococcal bacteria. There is a vaccination programme to protect older teenagers and young adults against meningococcal infection.
Meningococcal bacteria
Meningococcal bacteria can cause meningitis and blood poisoning (septicaemia).
There are 12 known capsular groups.
In Northern Ireland, meningococcal groups A,B, C, W and Y are the most common.
Meningococcal bacteria can cause:
- meningitis (inflammation of the lining in the brain)
- septicaemia (blood poisoning) often leading to a rash of dark spots
Meningitis can cause death or long-term health problems including:
- amputation
- deafness
- epilepsy
- learning difficulties
Symptoms of meningitis
Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and can include:
- a high temperature (fever)
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike of bright lights
- drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- seizures (fits)
These symptoms can appear in any order. You do not always get all the symptoms.
Further information is available at:
Meningococcal vaccines
You might have had a meningococcal group C (MenC) vaccination as a child.
Babies are given the MenB vaccine to help protect against a common type of bacteria that causes meningitis.
The MenACWY vaccine is given to teenagers and helps protect against four other types of bacteria linked to meningitis.
Although the vaccine is very effective, it does not prevent all types of meningitis, so it's still important to be aware of the symptoms of meningitis even if you've been vaccinated.
MenACWY vaccination
The MenACWY vaccine helps protect you against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia: meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y disease.
You only need one dose of the vaccine.
You get the vaccine as a single injection in the upper arm.
Pupils in year 11 are automatically offered the vaccine in school by the school health team, with a second chance to have it again in year 12, if they missed out the first time.
If you’re aged under 16 years old, you will need your parent or guardian’s consent to get the vaccines at school.
Contact details for the school nursing teams in your area can be found at the following links:
- School vaccination team - Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
- School nursing service - Northern Health and Social Care Trust
- School nursing - South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
- School nursing - Southern Health and Social Care Trust
- School nursing service - Western Health and Social Care Trust
Further information is available at:
Young people eligible for the MenACWY vaccine
All young people born since 2 July 1996 and who have not yet received the MenACWY vaccine can request this from their GP, up to the age of 25.
If you aren't planning to go to university, it is still important to get the vaccine. You only need to get the MenACWY vaccine once.
Young people starting university aged 25 or under
Various sub groups of meningococcal disease can spread quickly in areas where people live closely to each other:
- in university halls of residence
- in shared accommodation
If you’re aged 25 or under, about to start university for the first time and haven’t yet had the MenACWY vaccination, you should ask your GP for the vaccine.
Even if you have previously received the Men C vaccine you should still now ask for the MenACWY vaccine.
Ideally, you should get the vaccine at least two weeks before you start university.
If you don’t get the vaccine before going to university you should contact a GP in the university health centre and arrange to get the vaccine.
You can ask your GP, practice nurse or university health centre for more information about the vaccine.