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.
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.
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.
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.
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) is recommended and funded for:
The meningococcal B vaccine, the meningococcal ACWY vaccine or the meningococcal C vaccine (according to age) are recommended and funded for:
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Menactra or MenQuadfi) are recommended and funded for:
The meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) and the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Menactra or MenQuadfi) are recommended but not funded for:
The meningococcal ACWY vaccine (specifically Nimenrix) is recommended but not funded for:
*For more information, please refer to the Immunisation Handbook. Please note MenQuadfi is expected to replace Menactra in 2023.
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.
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.
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:
More information is available from the Immunisation Handbook 2020 (version 23)
