Meningitis ACWY (MenACWY) Vaccine

It’s given to most people when they’re 13 or 14, but if you’ve missed out on getting ir at school, you can book in with us up to the age of 25 to catch up on your dose.

The meningitis jab is also recommended for people who are travelling to an at-risk area like sub-Saharan Africa where they’re more likely to be exposed to the type of bacteria that casues serious illness.

Vaccine for Meningitis

Students starting university are advised to check whether or not they’ve had a MenACWY injection during their teens, as the infection is known to spread throughout halls and campuses even in the UK. Ideally, you should have the injection no later than 2 weeks before starting university.

Meningitis Vaccine Age

In the UK, most people start their immunisations against meningitis as babies, but in 2015, the MenACWY vaccine was introduced to protect teenagers against 4 additional strains of meningitis-causing bacteria.

You should be able to have the Meningitis ACWY vaccine up to the age of 25 if you haven’t been vaccinated against it yet, or an unlimited age if you’re travelling to a ‘meningitis-belt’ area.

Meningitis jab side effects

The meningitis jab doesn’t contain any live bacteria, so there’s absolutely no risk of catching the infection from your vaccine. However, you might notice a few mild symptoms in the days following your shot, but these usually go away on their own or with rest and mild painkillers like ibuprofen.

The most common side effects you might expect to feel include:

- Pain, swelling and itching where you had your jab

- Headache

- Nausea

- Rash

- Drowsiness

- Irritability

- Reduced appetite

- Feeling unwell

These symptoms shouldn’t last more than a couple of days, and won’t be anywhere near as severe as if you were to contract meningitis without a vaccine.

Meningitis risk areas

The most common area at risk of meningitis infection is sub-Saharan Africa. However Kingdom of Saudi Arabia might also require you to have the MenACWY jab if you’re travelling to the country to perform Hajj or Umrah.

Private Meningitis ACWY Vaccines

Ready Health’s travel clinic offers rapid Meningitis Vaccines ready for travel, university, or a missed booster whenever you need one.

Skip the waiting list and come straight to our state-of-the-art health hub on Standish High Street for just £85 for protection against 4 types of meningitis bacteria.

Book today via our online appointment portal.