The meningitis vaccine is a group of vaccines that protect against bacterial meningitis, a serious infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. There isn’t just one shot. Several vaccine types exist, each targeting different strains of the bacteria, and the recommended schedule starts with a first dose at age 11 or 12 with a booster at 16.
Types of Meningitis Vaccines
The bacteria that cause meningococcal disease come in several strains, called serogroups, and no single traditional vaccine covers all of them. That’s why there are different vaccine categories:
- MenACWY vaccines protect against four serogroups: A, C, W, and Y. These are the vaccines routinely given to all adolescents. Brand names include Menveo and MenQuadfi.
- MenB vaccines protect specifically against serogroup B, which is responsible for many cases in teens and young adults. Brand names include Bexsero and Trumenba.
- MenABCWY vaccines are newer pentavalent vaccines that combine protection against all five serogroups (A, B, C, W, and Y) in a single shot. The FDA licensed the second of these, Penmenvy, in February 2025 for people aged 10 to 25.
The pentavalent vaccines are a practical advancement because they can replace two separate shots with one. In April 2025, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that a pentavalent vaccine can be used whenever both MenACWY and MenB are indicated at the same visit.
How the Vaccines Work
Meningococcal bacteria have a sugar coating on their surface that helps them evade the immune system. On its own, this sugar coating is a poor trigger for lasting immunity, especially in young children. The MenACWY vaccines solve this problem by chemically linking pieces of that sugar coating to a protein carrier. This combination tricks the immune system into mounting a much stronger response. Your immune cells recognize the protein, activate a broader defense, and in the process learn to target the bacterial sugars as well. The result is high-quality, long-lasting antibodies and immune memory cells that can respond quickly if you encounter the real bacteria later.
MenB vaccines work differently. Instead of using sugar coatings, they use proteins found on the surface of serogroup B bacteria. These proteins are produced through recombinant technology (essentially, the protein is manufactured in a lab rather than harvested from live bacteria) and stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack serogroup B strains specifically.
Who Should Get Vaccinated
All adolescents are recommended to receive the MenACWY vaccine at age 11 or 12, with a booster dose at 16. The booster is important because protection fades over time, and the peak risk period for teens extends through the late high school and early college years.
MenB vaccination is handled differently. Rather than being universally required, it’s available through a shared decision between the patient and their healthcare provider for teens and young adults aged 16 to 23. It is, however, specifically recommended for people with certain medical conditions or risk factors.
Several groups have a higher risk of meningococcal disease and are recommended to receive both MenACWY and MenB vaccines:
- People with complement deficiencies, conditions where part of the immune system that helps destroy bacteria doesn’t function properly
- People without a working spleen, including those with sickle cell disease, since the spleen plays a key role in filtering bacteria from the blood
- People with HIV (for MenACWY)
- First-year college students living in residence halls who aren’t up to date on MenACWY
- Military recruits
- Travelers heading to regions where meningococcal disease is common, such as parts of sub-Saharan Africa
- Microbiologists who work directly with the bacteria
- Anyone in a community experiencing an outbreak
How Well the Vaccines Work
Vaccine effectiveness for MenB was estimated at 79% in a large Canadian vaccination campaign among people under 20. Data on MenACWY effectiveness in the general population is strong enough that it became a routine recommendation for all adolescents.
Protection doesn’t last forever. After a primary MenB series, immunity wanes over a few years. A booster dose restores strong protection quickly: within one month of a booster given four years after the initial series, at least 93 to 94% of recipients showed protective antibody levels against the targeted strains. By 12 months after the booster, protection remains solid but begins to gradually decline, with 62 to 93% of people maintaining protective levels depending on which strain is measured and how many primary doses they received. Overall, a booster appears to provide meaningful protection for roughly two to three years or longer.
For people at increased risk during an outbreak, a one-time MenB booster is recommended if at least one year has passed since completing the primary series.
Side Effects
Most people tolerate meningococcal vaccines well, and side effects tend to be mild and short-lived.
After a MenACWY shot, the most common reactions are soreness or redness at the injection site, muscle pain, headache, and fatigue. These typically resolve within one to two days.
MenB and the newer pentavalent MenABCWY vaccines tend to cause slightly more noticeable side effects: soreness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, fever or chills, and occasionally nausea or diarrhea. These generally last three to five days. Serious reactions are possible but rare.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
Meningococcal vaccines are covered at no cost under most insurance plans when administered by an in-network provider. This includes all Health Insurance Marketplace plans, which are required to cover recommended vaccines without copays or coinsurance, even if you haven’t met your deductible. Medicare Part D covers recommended adult vaccines at no cost, and as of October 2023, most Medicaid and CHIP plans guarantee coverage for all recommended vaccines as well.
For children and teens who are uninsured or underinsured, the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program provides meningococcal vaccines at no cost through enrolled healthcare providers.