Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine

​Outbreak of meningitis in Kent

​​Since early March 2026, there is an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent linked to the MenB strain.

Find more information including advice for students and parents, symptoms and what to do if you think you have meningitis.​

Who should have the Me​nACWY vaccine

You should make sure you have the MenACWY vaccination if you're:

• a teenager
• a new student going to university for the first time
• aged 25 or less
  

Pupils in school year 9 are offered the MenACWY vaccine. This means that most teenagers in Jersey have been vaccinated before leaving school and don't need any more vaccination before going to university.

You only need 1 vaccine dose for protection.

Find more information on meningitis.​

MenACWY vaccine on NHS

Mening​itis on​ the NHS 

If you didn't receive the vaccine or if you're unsure

If you're unsure if you had this vaccine you can either:

• call your GP
• contact the Immunisation team
  

If you haven't had the vaccine and you're aged under 25, you can get it if you:

• are going to university for the first time
  
• missed out on this vaccine protection during your school years
  

Contact the Immunisation T​eam if you need to book into a catch-up clinic.

Why this age group need the vaccine

In recent years, there's been an increase in the number of cases of meningococcal W (MenW) disease in the UK. This disease has a higher death rate than other strains of meningitis. In response to this outbreak, the MenACWY vaccine was introduced in the UK and Jersey in Autumn 2015.

New university students, up to age 25, have a higher risk of infection because many of them mix with lots of new people. Some of them may carry meningococcal bacteria without knowing. 

This age group is at higher risk of getting meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) from MenW. Both diseases are very serious and can kill you if they're not diagnosed early.

Find more information on school age vaccinations.

MenACWY vaccine

You will be offered a MenACWY vaccine called MenQuadfi.

You can find more information in the MenQuadfi patien​t leaflet on emc.­

Vaccine protection against MenB

MenACWY vaccine doesn't protect against MenB as it is caused by different group of the bug which commonly affects young infants.

A different vaccine, which protects against MenB, is given to very young babies.

Meningococcal B (MenB) va​ccine​

Meningitis and Septicaemia​

Meningitis is dangerous swelling of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. It can be the result of infection with bacteria or a virus or as a result of injury. Septicaemia is when bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. Both of these conditions can trigger sepsis. 

Sepsis is an overwhelming and life-threatening immune response to any infection and can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. 

Meningococcal disease can cause both meningitis and septicaemia.

There are 5 main groups of meningococcal bacteria that cause disease:

1. MenA
2. MenB
3. MenC
4. MenW
5. MenY

Meningococcal disease is rare but very serious and requires urgent hospital treatment. It can lead to life changing disabilities such as amputations, hearing loss, brain damage and scars.

Signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia

Many of the early signs of meningitis and septicaemia are: 

• ​diarrhoea
• vomiting
• fever
• aches
• general tiredness
• headaches

These are also signs of less serious illnesses like colds and flu. 

Someone with meningitis and septicaemia will usually become seriously ill within a matters of hours. Therefore it's important to keep checking on someone who is ill so you spot if they are getting rapidly worse. 

It's also important to look for cold hands and feet. Symptoms such as a rash that doesn't fade following a glass test, being confused or deliri​ous, or too sleepy to wake occur later and are very serious, seek help immediately.

For meningitis, the most important signs to look out for are:

• fever
• a very bad headache (this alone is not a reason to get medical help)
• vomiting
• stiff neck
• dislike of bright lights
• rash
• confusion, delirium
• severe sleepiness, losing consciousness
• seizures

For septicaemia, the most important signs to look out for are:

• fever and shivering
• severe pains and aches in limbs and joints
• vomiting
• very cold hands and feet
• pale or mottled skin
• rapid breathing
• diarrhoea and stomach cramps
• red or purple 'bruised' or blotchy rash on skin that do not fade under pressure. On dark skin, check the eyelids or the roof of the mouth where spots may be more visible. Do a glass test: press the side of a clear drinking glass firmly against the rash so you can see if the rash fades and loses colour under pressure. If it doesn't change colour, contact your doctor immediately
• difficulty walking or standing
• severe sleepiness, losing consciousness
  

Not all of these symptoms will develop and they can appear in any order and be mixed between the 2 illnesses. Meningococcal disease can be hard to identify at first because it can be like a bad case of flu.

However, anyone affected with meningococcal disease will usually become seriously ill within a few hours. You should contact your GP for advice if you have any concerns.

If you become worried, particularly if symptoms are getting worse, seek medical help urgently at the A and E Department or by dialling 999. Early treatment can be life-saving.

Early symptoms of meningitis

The early symptoms of meningitis are like flu symptoms. You need to be able to recognise the symptoms quickly, even if you've been vaccinated. The vaccine can't protect against all forms of the disease. 

Learn more about meningitis symptoms at the Meningitis R​esearch Foundation.

Reporting of possible side effects