Earlier meningitis B protection through childhood vaccination shows success

New figures suggest recent changes to the childhood vaccination schedule are helping protect babies against meningitis B at an earlier age, while concerns remain over low measles vaccination rates across England

Earlier protection for babies

The latest provisional data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that nearly 90% of babies in England received their second meningitis B vaccine dose by six months of age in April 2026. This is an increase of 4.6 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

The improvement follows changes introduced in June 2025, when the second meningitis B vaccine dose was moved from 16 weeks to 12 weeks of age. The change means babies now gain protection against meningococcal B disease a month earlier during a particularly vulnerable stage of life.

New MMRV vaccine rollout

The new childhood immunisation schedule also introduced a new appointment at 18 months from January 2026. During this visit, children receive their second dose of the combined MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Early figures suggest parents have responded well to the new programme. Among children eligible for their first MMRV vaccine, almost 78% had received the dose by 15 months of age.

The switch to the combined vaccine means children now receive protection against chickenpox alongside the existing protection against measles, mumps and rubella without requiring an additional appointment.

Regional differences

Despite encouraging overall uptake, vaccination rates remain highly variable across England.

London recorded the lowest first-dose MMR/MMRV coverage at 72%, while the South West achieved the highest rate at 83%.

Many children receive their vaccinations later, with first-dose coverage increasing to more than 92% by age 5. However, health officials say earlier vaccination remains important to reduce the risk of outbreaks.

Measles cases rising

The latest measles surveillance data highlights why improving vaccine uptake remains a priority.

Between 1 January and 22 June 2026, England recorded 801 laboratory-confirmed measles cases. Although this is still below the total for the whole of 2025, cases have continued to rise steadily throughout the year, with 65 new infections confirmed in the previous two weeks alone.

Children aged 10 years and under account for 60% of all confirmed cases this year, while almost half of recent infections have been reported in London.

Focus on catch-up vaccinations

Health leaders are urging parents and carers to check that children are fully up to date with all recommended vaccinations, particularly the MMRV vaccine.

To help improve protection, NHS England has confirmed that its 2026/27 national catch-up vaccination campaign will focus on MMRV immunisation. The programme aims to increase coverage following recent measles outbreaks and after England lost its measles elimination status with the World Health Organisation.