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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Health and wellbeing
    3. Living well
    4. Immunisation and vaccinations
    5. Childhood immunisation

    Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination for babies

    As babies and young children are most commonly affected by meningococcal B, you should make sure that your baby receives the Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination.

    Men B vaccination 

    Babies can get the Men B vaccine alongside other vaccinations when they are aged:

    • two months
    • four months
    • 12 months

    The vaccine is given as a single injection into your baby’s thigh and may cause some side effects such as:

    • redness, swelling or tenderness where they had the injection (this will slowly disappear within a few days)
    • being a bit irritable and feeding poorly
    • having a temperature (fever)

    It is quite common for babies who receive the Men B vaccine at two and four months of age to have a fever after the vaccination.

    You can help reduce this by giving them infant paracetamol which will also help against other side effects.

    • Immunisation and vaccinations

    Men B disease

    The Men B vaccine will protect your baby against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria, which can cause:

    • meningitis (infection and inflammation of the lining of the brain)
    • septicaemia (blood poisoning)

    Meningitis and septicaemia are serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

    They are caused by meningococcal group B bacteria which can affect people of any age, but is most common in babies and young children.

    With early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment, most people with meningococcal disease make a full recovery.

    It is fatal in about one in ten cases and can lead to long-term health problems such as:

    • amputation
    • deafness
    • epilepsy
    • difficulty with learning

    Why your baby should get the Men B vaccine

    There are lots of different strains of Men B infection. The vaccine protects against most (about three quarters) but not all the strains.

    The vaccine reduces your baby’s chance of getting the infection. But there is still a small chance they could get it, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

    • Meningitis
    • Hospitals, accidents and emergencies

    Information about Men B vaccination

    You can ask your GP or practice nurse for more information about the vaccine.

    More useful links

    • Immunisation for babies up to one year old
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    Childhood immunisation

    • BCG vaccination for babies
    • Childhood immunisation programme
    • HPV vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 13 years old
    • Immunisation for babies aged 12 or 13 months
    • Immunisation for babies up to one year old
    • Immunisation for premature babies
    • Immunisation for preschool children
    • Immunisation for teenagers between 14 and 18 years old
    • Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
    • MenACWY vaccination for teenagers and students
    • Meningococcal B (Men B) vaccination for babies

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