Following a recent Government announcement, community pharmacies are being invited to provide a new one-off, time-limited Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination service aimed at protecting young people at highest immediate risk of MenB disease ahead of the usual autumn peak in meningitis cases.

At a glance

• Service starts: 20 July 2026
• Registration closes: 20 July 2026 (11.59pm)
• Register by 6 July 2026 to receive vaccine stock in time for the service launch (subject to meeting the other requirements below).
• Eligible patients require two doses, with the first dose from July and the second in August.
• Pharmacies receive £10.06 per vaccination administered, plus one-off mobilisation payments where eligible.

What you need to do

To deliver the service, complete the following steps:

1. Register for the service

Register as soon as possible.

• Register by 6 July 2026 if you want to receive vaccine stock in time for the service launch on 20 July (subject to meeting the other requirements below).
• The final deadline to register is 20 July 2026 (11.59pm).

2. Make sure you have access to the required systems

You will need access to:

• Federated Data Platform (FDP) – to order vaccine stock
• Manage Your Appointments (MYA) – to manage National Booking Service appointments
• Record a Vaccine (RAVS) – to record vaccinations

If you do not already have access to FDP or MYA, complete the onboarding form.

If you do not already have access to RAVS, register as soon as possible.

3. Complete your FDP setup

Before ordering vaccine:

• log into the FDP Supply Dashboard;
• complete the site acknowledgement page;
• confirm or update your site details; and
• contact the Central East ICB if you cannot amend any incorrect information.

4. Publish appointments

Before ordering vaccine, publish appointment availability on the National Booking Service (NBS).

Pharmacies should:

• offer at least 100 appointments per month;
• spread appointments across different days and times, including late afternoons and Saturdays where appropriate.

Please note: MYA will be updated on 6 August 2026. Do not add appointment availability for 1 September onwards until confirmation has been issued that the update is complete.

Initial appointment planning and vaccine availability

Pharmacy owners should ensure that their initial appointment offer reflects their available vaccine stock.

The initial vaccine allocation will be 10 doses (one pack of 10 pre-filled syringes). Pharmacies should avoid publishing more appointments than they can fulfil with their initial allocation.

As additional vaccine stock is allocated through future ordering cycles, pharmacies should continue to monitor appointment bookings and available stock. Where necessary, unbooked appointments may need to be reduced temporarily to avoid overbooking.

July appointment availability

Although pharmacies are expected to offer a minimum of 100 appointments per month, there is no expectation to offer 100 appointments during July, as the service begins on 20 July.

Appointment availability during July should reflect:

• the initial allocation of 10 vaccine doses; and
• the number of days the service is operational during July.

Pharmacy owners who have already published appointments through MYA should review these before NBS bookings open to ensure appointment availability matches the initial vaccine supply.

Key Appointment Bookings Guidance 

Cancelling Appointments

Cancelling a whole day of appointments

Edit Appointment Availability 

MYA system update

MYA will be updated on 6 August 2026.

Do not add appointment availability for 1 September onwards until confirmation has been issued that the update is complete.

5. Advertise walk-in clinics

You must provide walk-in vaccination opportunities.

Update your NHS Profile Manager so your walk-in MenB clinics appear on the NHS Service Finder.

6. Order vaccine

Once you have:

• registered for the service;
• published appointments on NBS;
• completed your FDP site acknowledgement; and
• obtained access to the required systems,

you will be able to place your initial vaccine order through FDP.

Vaccine orders will not be dispatched automatically

Pharmacy owners must actively place an order through FDP to receive their allocated vaccine stock.

NHS Futures Vaccine Supply and Ordering Guidance

Vaccine Order cut-off Deadlines:

Vaccine order cut-off deadlines depends on the fixed delivery day.

Fixed delivery day orders must be placed by:

• Receive on Monday –> Orders must be placed by Thursday of the previous week by 08:00
• Receive on Tuesday –> Orders must be placed by Friday of the previous week by 08:00
• Receive on Wednesday –> Orders must be placed by Monday of the same week by 08:00
• Receive Thursday –> Orders must be placed by Tuesday of the same week by 08:00
• Receive Friday –> Orders must be placed by Wednesday of the same week by 08:00

Key dates

Date	Action
6 July 2026	Register by this date to receive vaccine stock for the service launch (subject to meeting programme requirements).
20 July 2026	Service begins.
20 July 2026 (11.59pm)	Registration closes.
6 August 2026	MYA system update. Do not publish September appointments until advised.

Vaccine supply

The MenB vaccine (4CMenB) will be supplied centrally.

• Initial orders will be placed through FDP.
• Initial orders are for a minimum of 10 vaccines (one pack of 10 pre-filled syringes).
• Pharmacies that registered by 6 July 2026 and have at least one National Booking Service booking from 20 July will receive stock in time for service launch.

Initial allocation process

Pharmacies that complete the required service registration, FDP setup and appointment requirements will receive an initial allocation of 10 vaccine doses.

Additional stock will be allocated in future ordering cycles based on demand generated through NBS bookings.

Pharmacy owners should monitor vaccine availability closely during the early weeks of the programme to ensure appointment availability matches available stock.

Access the MenB Vaccine Supply and Ordering Guidance for further information.

Who can receive the vaccine?

The programme is for:

• all Year 13 pupils;
• people under 25 starting university or residential further education for the first time in autumn 2026; and
• international students under 25 entering the first year of university (who should receive their first dose in their home country where possible).

Each eligible individual requires two doses.

The programme does not include:

• postgraduate students; or
• students entering their second or subsequent year of study.

Payments

Pharmacies will receive:

• £10.06 Item of Service fee for every eligible vaccination administered.

In addition, pharmacies may receive a one-off mobilisation payment of:

• £300 if at least one vaccination is delivered; or
• £400 if at least 100 vaccinations are delivered.

Please note that contractors are responsible for sourcing any ancillary consumables required to administer the vaccine, including needles.

Recording vaccinations

All vaccinations must be recorded using the Record a Vaccine Service (RAVS).

If you experience problems accessing RAVS, contact the helpdesk:

• Email: ravs.support@england.nhs.uk
• Telephone: 0333 038 4268 (Option 3)
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

If you’re having problems signing up to or accessing RAVS, it may be because your OKTA account needs to be reactivated.

If you’re unable to log in, please contact the NHS England IT Service Desk at itservicedesk@england.nhs.uk, who will be able to help restore access.

Patient access

Year 13 pupils will be invited by the NHS through:

• the NHS App;
• text message;
• email; or
• letter.

Eligible university and residential further education students can book appointments directly with participating pharmacies.

Off-site vaccination

Vaccinations will normally be delivered from pharmacy premises.

With commissioner approval, vaccinations may also be delivered from suitable off-site locations, such as university campuses or community venues.

Contractors wishing to vaccinate off-site must obtain approval before delivering the service.

Please use the NHS East of England Community Pharmacy one-off Meningitis B vaccination: off-site vaccination permission form to seek approval.

DSP pharmacies are not permitted to administer vaccinations from their registered pharmacy premises.

Support for contractors

The recording slides and a compiled FAQ from the regional NHSE East of England webinars “Meningitis B vaccination for young adults” which ran on 30 June and 1 July can be found below:

• Webinar recording
• Slide deck
• FAQs

NHSE drop in Q&A sessions (no registration required):

•  Tuesday 14^th July, 1-1.30pm – Click to join
• Wednesday 22^nd July, 6.30-7pm – Click to join
• Wednesday 29^th July, 1-1.30pm – Click to join
• Tuesday 4^th August, 6.30-7pm – Click to join

 

Patient resources

Patient information materials can be ordered free of charge from Find public health resources. Users need to register to receive deliveries. If you register as a health professional, you can order 500 to 1,000 copies on the website. For larger quantities, please call 0300 123 1002.

Resource	Title and ordering link	Product code
Leaflet	A guide to the Meningococcal B vaccines that help to protect against meningitis and septicaemia	13347EN001
Poster	MenB vaccination poster – under 25	13349EN001
Vaccination record card	MenB vaccination record card	13348EN001
Consent form	MenB programme consent form	1334AEN001
Digital graphic for display screens	The signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia – digital screens	IM23DISP1
Poster for healthcare settings	Don’t ignore the signs and symptoms posters	IM23DISP1

Further support and guidance

Comprehensive service guidance, including a step-by-step checklist covering registration, access to the Federated Data Platform (FDP), and all key service requirements, is available on the CPE website. We strongly recommend reviewing this guidance before contacting for support:

Meningitis B Vaccination Service guidance:
https://cpe.org.uk/national-pharmacy-services/advanced-services/meningitis-b-vaccination-service/

If, after working through the guidance and checklist, you are still experiencing difficulties, please contact the SVOC team at cpicb.svoc@nhs.net. They will be able to advise you directly or signpost your query to the appropriate team.

If you are using Manage Your Appointments (MYA), the Federated Data Platform (FDP) or related systems for the first time, we also encourage you to speak to a local pharmacy that previously delivered COVID-19 vaccination services. Many contractors have considerable experience with these platforms and can provide helpful practical advice and tips.

Patient information materials, including leaflets, posters and consent forms, can be ordered free of charge via the GOV.UK public health resources website.

Thank you for your support in delivering this important vaccination programme to protect young people at increased risk of meningococcal disease.