Bexsero Dosing Schedules by Age
When planning protection against Meningococcal B disease, patient age determines the number of doses required, the minimum interval between injections, and whether a later booster is necessary.
The Bexsero vaccine works by stimulating the body's immune system to generate bactericidal antibodies against surface proteins found on Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. Below is the clinical schedule endorsed by the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Dosing Breakdown by Age Bracket
- Infants aged 2 months to 5 months:
- Primary Schedule: 2 doses given at least 2 months apart.
- Booster Dose: 1 booster dose administered between 12 and 15 months of age (at least 6 months after the second primary dose).
- Unvaccinated Infants aged 6 months to 11 months:
- Primary Schedule: 2 doses given at least 2 months apart.
- Booster Dose: 1 booster dose given in the child's second year of life.
- Children aged 12 months to 23 months:
- Primary Schedule: 2 doses separated by at least 2 months.
- Booster Dose: 1 booster dose given 12 to 23 months after the primary series.
- Children aged 2 to 10 years:
- Primary Schedule: 2 doses given at least 1 month apart (or 2 months depending on clinical assessment).
- Booster Dose: No routine booster currently recommended for healthy children.
- Adolescents and Adults (Aged 11 to 50+):
- Primary Schedule: 2 doses administered with a minimum interval of 1 month (4 weeks).
- Booster Dose: No booster is required for healthy individuals unless high persistent risk is identified.
Managing Post-Vaccination Fever in Infants
In babies and toddlers under 12 months old, Bexsero has a higher propensity to induce mild to moderate post-injection fever than other routine childhood immunisations.
For teenagers, university students, and adults, routine paracetamol is rarely necessary prior to injection, but can be taken post-vaccination if deltoid muscle soreness or a headache occurs.
For booking and dosage advice, consult our pharmacists on our Meningitis B Clinic page.
