Getting vaccinated for meningococcal disease lowers your risk of bacterial meningitis and other health problems. Stay updated on the latest vaccination recommendations to know when and how to get vaccinated.

Meningococcal disease is an infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a type of meningococcal bacterium.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 438 confirmed and probable cases of meningococcal disease were reported in the United States in 2023. This was the largest number of cases reported since 2013.

Meningococcal disease is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis. Meningitis happens when the lining of the brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed. Some other types of bacterial infections, viral infections, and other health conditions may also cause meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis is a potentially life threatening condition. It causes severe complications in about 1 in 5 people who develop it, reports the World Health Organization (WHO). Roughly 1 in 6 people who develop it die from the disease.

Meningococcal vaccination helps prevent bacterial meningitis and other types of meningococcal disease caused by N. meningitidis. Multiple types of meningococcal vaccines protect against different serogroups of N. meningitidis. A serogroup includes multiple subspecies of the bacterium that share certain proteins in common.

Read on to learn more about meningococcal vaccination, including the CDC’s latest recommendations for who should receive which type of vaccine.

There are five meningococcal vaccines in the United States, which may be classified into three types:

  • MenACWY vaccines (Menveo, MenQuadfi): These are also known as meningococcal conjugate or quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines. This type of vaccine lowers your risk of developing serogroups A, C, W, and Y meningococcal disease.
  • MenB vaccines (Bexsero, Trumenba): These are also known as serogroup B meningococcal vaccines. This type of vaccine lowers your risk of developing serogroup B meningococcal disease.
  • MenABCWY vaccine (Penbraya): This is also known as the pentavalent meningococcal vaccine. It lowers your risk of developing serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y meningococcal disease.

Most cases of meningococcal disease in the United States are caused by serogroups B, C, and Y, reports the CDC. Outbreaks of serogroup W and other types of meningococcal disease sometimes occur.

The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for:

  • all adolescents, including preteens and teenagers, ages 11 to 18 years
  • children ages 2 months to 10 years who have certain risk factors
  • adults ages 19 years or older who have certain risk factors

Your doctor or child’s doctor may recommend the MenACWY vaccine, MenB vaccine, or both, depending on whether you or your child has certain risk factors. You or your child may receive the MenABCWY vaccine instead of getting both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same time.

Read on to learn more about the recommendations for each type of vaccine.

MenACWY vaccine

The CDC recommends the MenACWY vaccine for all adolescents. They should ideally get a dose of the vaccine at 11 to 12 years old, with a follow-up booster dose at age 16.

Teenagers who didn’t get a dose at age 11 or 12 may get the vaccine at age 13 or older. A doctor can help you learn whether a booster dose will be necessary and when to get it.

The CDC also recommends the MenACWY vaccination for children and adults who have any of the following risk factors:

  • HIV
  • a damaged or removed spleen, including from sickle cell disease
  • a complement component deficiency, which is a rare immune system condition
  • taking a complement inhibitor medication, such as:
    • eculizumab (Soliris)
    • iptacopan (Fabhalta)
    • pegcetacoplan (Empaveli, Syfovre)
    • ravulizumab (Ultomiris)
  • living in or traveling to parts of the world where meningococcal disease is common, which includes certain regions of the Middle East and Africa
  • a college freshman who’s living in a residence hall and hasn’t already received the full MenACWY vaccination
  • a microbiologist who routinely works with N. meningitidis
  • a U.S. military recruit

The CDC also recommends MenACWY vaccination for people who are part of a community at increased risk during a serogroup A, C, W, or Y meningococcal disease outbreak. For example, this includes students or staff at a school where there’s an active outbreak.

Talk with a doctor to learn whether you or your child should get the MenACWY vaccine. Ask how many doses to get and when to get them.

MenB vaccine

The CDC recommends MenB vaccines for people 10 years or older who have any of the following risk factors:

  • a damaged or removed spleen, including from sickle cell disease
  • a complement component deficiency, which is a rare immune system condition
  • taking a complement inhibitor medication, such as:
    • pegcetacoplan
    • iptacopan
    • eculizumab
    • ravulizumab
  • a microbiologist who routinely works with N. meningitidis

Teenagers and young adults ages 16 to 23 years who don’t have any of these risk factors may also choose to get the MenB vaccine.

The CDC also recommends MenB vaccination for people part of a community at increased risk during a serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak. For example, this includes a school community with an outbreak.

Talk with a doctor to learn whether you or your child should get the MenB vaccine. Ask how many doses to get and when to get them. Multiple doses of the MenB vaccine are necessary for maximum protection.

MenABCWY vaccine

If you or your child is scheduled to get both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same time, you may get the MenABCWY vaccine instead.

The MenABCWY vaccine provides protection against the same serogroups of meningococcal bacteria as the MenACWY and MenB vaccines combined.

A booster shot is a follow-up dose of a vaccine that helps increase or maintain the protection provided by vaccination. Without booster shots, the protection of meningococcal vaccination wears off over time.

  • If your child got the first dose of the MenACWY vaccine at 11 or 12 years old, they should get a booster shot at age 16.
  • If they got a first dose at age 13 to 15, they should get a booster shot between ages 16 and 18.
  • If they got their first dose at age 16 years or older, they may not need a booster shot unless they have risk factors for meningococcal disease.

People with risk factors for meningococcal disease should generally get booster shots for as long as they have those risk factors.

Talk with your doctor or child’s doctor to learn whether you or your child should get a booster of the MenACWY vaccine, MenB vaccine, or both. Ask when to get them.

If you or your child is scheduled to get booster shots of both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same time, you may receive a booster shot of the MenABCWY vaccine instead.

You or your child may develop redness or other color or skin changes, soreness, itching, or swelling around the area where a meningococcal vaccine is injected. Applying a cold compress or taking an over-the-counter pain reliever may help reduce soreness. Taking an antihistamine may help reduce itching.

Some people develop other side effects, such as:

  • muscle pain
  • joint pain
  • headache
  • tiredness
  • fever
  • chills
  • nausea
  • diarrhea

Side effects usually are mild and go away on their own within 1 to 5 days.

In very rare cases, meningococcal vaccination may cause a severe allergic reaction or other serious side effects. Let your doctor know if you have any allergies or if you’ve had an allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past. They can help you learn whether meningococcal vaccination is likely to be safe for you.

Contact 911 or emergency medical services if you develop any signs or symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as:

  • swelling of your face and throat
  • difficulty breathing
  • dizziness
  • weakness
  • loss of consciousness

Before getting the meningococcal vaccination, let your doctor know if you’re breastfeeding or pregnant. They can help you learn about the potential benefits and risks.

Meningococcal vaccines reduce your risk of meningococcal disease, including bacterial meningitis and other types of illness caused by N. meningitidis.

Although meningococcal vaccines lower your risk of meningococcal disease, they don’t prevent all cases. It’s still possible to get meningococcal disease after getting the vaccine.

The protection from meningococcal vaccines decreases over time, which is why your doctor may recommend booster shots to help you stay protected.

Meningococcal vaccines don’t prevent meningitis caused by other types of bacteria, viruses, or health conditions.

You or your child may receive meningococcal vaccines at a doctor’s office, health clinic, or pharmacy.

Meningococcal vaccination is part of the routine childhood immunization schedule.

Visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or contact your local or state health department to learn more about where to get vaccinated.

Meningococcal vaccination helps prevent meningococcal disease, which is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis.

Multiple types of meningococcal vaccines, including MenACWY, MenB, and MenABCWY vaccines, are available in the United States.

The CDC recommends the MenACWY vaccine to all adolescents as well as certain children and adults who have risk factors for meningococcal disease.

The CDC recommends MenB vaccination to people who have certain risk factors for meningococcal disease. Teenagers and preteens without risk factors may also get this type of vaccine.

The MenABCWY vaccine protects against the same serogroups of meningococcal disease as the MenACWY and MenB vaccine combined. You or your child may get the MenABCWY vaccine instead of getting both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same time.

A doctor can help you learn whether you or your child should get one or more types of meningococcal vaccines. If so, they can tell you how many doses of each vaccine to get, including whether booster shots are needed to maintain protection over time. Also talk with the doctor to learn about the potential side effects of vaccination.