Meningococcal Vaccines for 13 - 25 year olds:
From 1 March 2023, rangatahi (young people) aged 13 to 25 years old living in close-living situations are now eligible for FREE meningococcal B vaccines.
This means BOTH the meningococcal ACW&Y vaccine and the meningococcal B vaccine are available FREE OF CHARGE to 13 to 25 year olds who are entering into, or in their first year of certain close-living situations.
Close-living situations include boarding schools, hostels, halls of residence, military barracks, youth justice residences, and prisons.
To be protected against the most common forms of meningococcal disease, two (2) different vaccines are required. One for the ACW&Y strains, and another to protect against the B strain.
The Meningitis Foundation continues to lobby for equal access to the vaccines for ALL 13 to 25 year olds, regardless of their living situation. We believe every 16 year old should be fully vaccinated for meningococcal ACW&Y and meningococcal B before they leave college. Read more about our 2025 Goal.
MENINGITIS PREVENTION
The bacteria that cause meningitis are transmitted through close personal contact including sneezing, coughs, kissing, and sharing drinks and eating utensils. Good hygiene practices and vaccinations are important to stop the spread of disease.
It is difficult to avoid coming into contact with such a common bacteria, but good hygiene practices (covering coughs and sneezes, regular hand washing), avoiding smoking, and reducing overcrowded living conditions can help reduce spread. The best way to prevent bacterial meningitis is through vaccination.
Children who attend daycare and preschool are at greater risk of contracting bacterial meningitis: encourage your daycare centre or preschool to ensure that all children who attend have had the pneumococcal vaccination, as part of their free childhood immunisations. It is important to note that meningococcal vaccination is not currently part of the free childhood immunisations.
Vaccines are available to protect against the most common forms of both pneumococcal disease and meningococcal disease.
The New Zealand Immunisation Schedule is the series of vaccines that are offered free to babies, children, adolescents and adults in New Zealand. The Schedule lists all of the diseases that are covered, the vaccines that are provided and the age at which they are given. The Schedule is available as a download from the Ministry of Health
While available vaccines provide thorough protection, it is vital to develop a good understanding of the symptoms of meningitis, and what to do if you suspect infection.
Vaccines for
Pneumococcal disease
Since 2008, all babies in New Zealand can be immunised against pneumococcal disease as part of their FREE childhood immunisations. The vaccine is given in a 2+1 schedule. A two-dose primary course will be given at ages 6 weeks and 5 months, and a booster dose at 12 months old.
It’s important to protect babies from pneumococcal disease by getting them immunised on time. They’re not protected until they’ve had all 3 doses.
The vaccine used is Prevenar 13®, which covers the 13 most common pneumococcal types that cause disease in infants and young children.
Vaccination of all infants also helps to protect other age groups by reducing the carriage and spread of certain strains of the bacteria in children, this is known as ‘herd’ or ‘community’ immunity’.
Babies born to mothers who have high levels of pneumococcal antibodies may have some protection from the disease at birth. However, by two months of age almost one third of the maternal antibodies have gone and will have virtually disappeared by the age of seven months. Without vaccination, infants cannot develop their own effective protection against pneumococcal bacteria until about two years of age.
Children and adults with particular medical conditions that increase their risk of pneumococcal disease are eligible for funded pneumococcal immunisation with Pneumovax 23®. For more information about eligible medical conditions and vaccines, see the Immunisation Handbook, or talk to your nurse or doctor.
Vaccines for
Meningococcal Disease
There are a number of vaccines available which protect against different types of meningococcal disease. There is no one vaccine that can protect against all of the types of meningococcal disease. Different vaccines are required to protect against the most common types of meningococcal disease – one to protect against meningococcal group A,C,W & Y disease, and another vaccine to protect against meningococcal group B disease. There is also a separate vaccine available to protect against meningococcal group C disease.
vaccines which are recommended and funded*
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) is recommended and funded for:
all infants at ages 3 months, 5 months and 12 months, with a limited catch-up programme for children under 5 years (until 31 August 2025).
The meningococcal B vaccine, the meningococcal ACWY vaccine or the meningococcal C vaccine (according to age) are recommended and funded for:
patients pre- or post-splenectomy or with functional or anatomical asplenia
patients with HIV, complement deficiency (acquired, including monoclonal antibody therapy against C5, or inherited)
patients who are pre- or post-solid organ transplantc
HSCT (bone marrow transplant) patients
patients prior to planned immunosuppression
patients following immunosuppression
close contacts of meningococcal cases of any group
individuals who have previously had meningococcal disease of any group.
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Menactra or MenQuadfi) are recommended and funded for:
individuals aged 13–25 years inclusively who are entering within three months or are in their first year of living in boarding school hostels, tertiary education halls of residence, military barracks, prisons or youth justice residences.
vaccines which are recommended but not funded*
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Menactra or MenQuadfi) are recommended but not funded for:
individuals who are laboratory workers regularly handling meningococcal cultures
adolescents and young adults living in communal or overcrowded accommodation not covered by funded vaccine
individuals who are travelling to high-risk countries (see the WHO website) or before the Hajj.
The meningococcal ACWY vaccine (specifically Nimenrix) is recommended but not funded for:
high-risk infants age under 9 months in place of the meningococcal C vaccine
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Menactra or MenQuadfi) are recommended but not funded for:
all infants, young children, adolescents and young adults.
*For more information, please refer to the Immunisation Handbook. Please note MenQuadfi is expected to replace Menactra in 2023.
About the meningococcal vaccines:
MENINGOCOCCAL B VACCINE – BEXSERO
Bexsero is broadly protective against meningococcal group B disease. Bexsero can be used to protect babies, children, adolescents and adults. Infants younger than twelve months of age need three doses to be fully protected. Older children, adolescents, and adults need two doses to be protected.
From 1 March 2023 the Bexsero vaccine for meningococcal B has been added to the National Immunisation Schedule. It is provided free of charge to all children under 5 years of age, and to 13 to 25 year olds living in certain close-living situations. More information is available here.
For others wishing to be protected against meningococcal B disease, Bexsero is available through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $150 per dose.
Bexsero is different to the MeNZB™ vaccine used in New Zealand between 2004 and 2011. The MeNZB vaccine was designed to target a specific type of meningococcal group B bacterium that only caused disease here in New Zealand. MeNZB was not meant for long term use. The vaccine was withdrawn once the rate of disease was significantly reduced. However, the active component of the MeNZB vaccine has contributed to the successful development of Bexsero.
MENINGOCOCCAL A,C,W & Y VACCINE – MENACTRA, MenQuadfi, OR NIMENRIX
Menactra is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y. Menactra is registered in New Zealand for individuals aged 9 months to 55 years.
Menactra is also available as a purchased vaccine through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $150 per dose. For children aged 9 - 23 months, two doses are given at least three months apart. For individuals aged 2 - 55 years, one dose is given.
Menactra is funded for people aged 13-25 years inclusive who will be or are currently living in a boarding school hostel, or university halls of residence, military barracks, youth justice residences, or prisons. Children and adults with a medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease are also eligible for funded vaccine.
MenQuadfi is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y. MenQuadfi is registered in New Zealand for individuals aged 12 months and over and given as a single dose. A single booster dose may be given to adolescent and adults who have been primed with another Meningococcal ACWY vaccine at least 4 years previously. MenQuadfi is available as a purchased vaccine through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $150 per dose.
This vaccine is funded for people aged 13-25 years inclusive who will be or are currently living in a boarding school hostel, or university halls of residence, military barracks, youth justice residences, or prisons.
MenQuadfi is anticipated to replace Menactra as the funded vaccine in 2023, for use in individuals aged 12 months and over.
Nimenrix is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y. In New Zealand, Nimenrix is only available as a purchased (non-funded) vaccine for individuals from 6 weeks of age through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $150 per dose. For infants aged under 12 months, two doses are given eight weeks apart, with a booster from age 12 months at least six months after the second dose. For adults and children from age 12 months, one dose is given. A booster may be indicated in some individuals.
For more information about the recommended immunisation schedule see Section 13.5 of the Immunisation Handbook 2020.
Widened access to Meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero)
From 1 March 2023 Meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) will be funded as part of the childhood immunisation programme to protect against meningococcal disease in children up to 12 months of age. It will also be funded for people aged 13 to 25 years who are entering into or in their first year of specified close-living situations.
A catch-up programme is also available for:
children under 5 years of age, up until 31 August 2025.
There is some flexibility for children eligible for catch-up who turn 5 years old before receiving their first MenB (Bexsero) dose. These children can still be offered the funded vaccine course; this should be given at the earliest opportunity and before the end of the catch-up period. Note: eligible children are those who were aged under 5 years old on 1 March 2023.
people aged 13 to 25 years who are currently living in close-living situations such as boarding school hostels, tertiary education halls of residence, military barracks, youth justice residences, or prisons, to 28 February 2024.
More information is available from the Immunisation Handbook 2020 (version 23)
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