Key Summary
- I am particularly pleased that on this occasion community pharmacy was not an afterthought, says Baba Akomolafe, Director, Christchurch Health Centre.
- The strong response demonstrates that patients are willing to use community pharmacies for vaccinations, says Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive, Company Chemists Association.
- The new figures from the UKHSA shows that Meningitis B (MenB) was responsible for 97% of invasive meningococcal disease cases in 15 to 24-year-olds in England during 2025-26.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging students preparing to enter university to ensure that they take the two doses of MenB vaccines ahead of term, to protect them from the risk of meningococcal disease.
This is the first national NHS vaccination campaign to be delivered solely through community pharmacies, and those eligible need to take two doses at least 28 days apart.
By 31 August, 246,089 doses of the MenB vaccine has been given to young people, but thousands of school leavers and first-year undergraduates remain eligible.
To assess the situation on the ground, Pharmacy Business spoke to pharmacists and pharmacy sector leaders, and they reiterated that the community pharmacies have the capacity to deliver vaccines at a national scale.
Pharmacies can deliver
Baba Akomolafe, Director, Christchurch Health Centre said, "Our vaccine allocations through the Federated Data Platform (FDP) have been sufficient. There was some initial concern that supply might not meet demand, but so far we have had adequate stock and have not experienced significant stockouts.
"We have also been able to manage the requirement to make 100 appointments available each month without difficulty.
"Once again, community pharmacy has shown that, when called upon at short notice, it can deliver collectively and at scale. I am particularly pleased that on this occasion community pharmacy was not an afterthought, and I believe we have justified the NHS commissioners’ decision to use pharmacies.
"It makes sense: greater convenience and accessibility for students, reduced pressure on GP surgeries and, importantly, prevention rather than treatment."
Company Chemists Association Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said: “We are very pleased with the success of the MenB vaccination service so far, over a quarter of a million vaccines is an incredible success.
"The strong response demonstrates that patients are willing to use community pharmacies for vaccinations. It also demonstrates how quickly the sector can respond when given opportunities to deliver new NHS services.
"The early uptake underlines the significant contribution community pharmacy can make to improving access to vaccinations and supporting the NHS’s wider prevention ambitions.”
Many MPs have expressed satisfaction over the performance of community pharmacies in the ongoing MenB vaccination drive, and some have called upon the government and the NHS to make better use of community pharmacies due to their strong community connection.
Leading cause of meningitis
The new figures from the UKHSA shows that Meningitis B (MenB) was responsible for 97% of invasive meningococcal disease cases in 15 to 24-year-olds (93 of 96 cases) in England during 2025-26.
According to the UKHSA, young adults, particularly university students, remain at increased risk from meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia.
MenB was the leading cause of the disease across almost all age groups under 25, including infants (92%, 34 of 37) and 1 to 4 year-olds (100%, 35 of 35).
Invasive Meningococcal Disease can be serious, with 26 deaths recorded among the 348 total IMD confirmed cases during the year.
In March 2026, an unprecedented Meningitis B outbreak in Kent was associated with 21 cases in students and other young people in the Canterbury area.
This was followed by two further MenB outbreaks, each involving three or more cases, in Dorset and in Berkshire.
The government has this summer introduced a one-off, time-limited MenB vaccination programme, targeting those at highest immediate risk of MenB disease, primarily school leavers and first-year university and higher education undergraduates.
The NPA, which represents around 6000 independent community pharmacies, has also called for making this one-off scheme an annual programme.
Some pharmacies have been offering MenB vaccine as a private service for people travelling abroad. However, after the recent MenB outbreaks, they were deluged by queries from concerned families.
Book your vaccine
Dr Shamez Ladhani, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "The MenB vaccine offer for students and young people is now underway - it’s absolutely vital that everyone eligible gets their two doses, ideally before term starts or as soon as possible.
"Two doses are essential for the best protection against most strains of Meningitis B, so please don’t leave it half done or too late. It only takes a few minutes and will be the best insurance you can have against this deadly disease."
Vinny Smith, Chief Executive, Meningitis Research Foundation said: "This autumn, we’ll be at universities across the UK helping students understand why getting their MenB vaccine is so important.
"If you’re a teen or young adult, don’t wait. Book your vaccine appointment now, get both doses, and give yourself the best possible protection against MenB."
Vaccine for infants, teens
The UKHSA has also urged parents of infants to ensure that they receive their 3 MenB vaccines on time, as part of the routine Childhood Programme.
Timely vaccination remains the best protection against MenB in the early years of life, when children are also at high risk of infection.
In addition to MenB, meningococcal A, C, W and Y are also causes of meningitis and septicaemia in young people.
The MenACWY vaccine is routinely offered to teenagers as part of the school immunisation programme, and if they have missed they can do so till their 25th birthday.
