Commonly asked questions and answers about Meningococcal B Immunisation (MeNZB™)

Why was this vaccination introduced?
The MeNZB™ vaccine was introduced to control an epidemic of a specific strain of Group B meningococcus within New Zealand. The programme started in 2004 and, by the end of December 2006, a course of MeNZB™ vaccine had been offered to all children and young people aged six weeks to 19 years. From January 2007, the MeNZB™ vaccine was only available for children under the age of five years and to individuals at higher risk.

Is the immunisation campaign going to continue?
The routine immunisation of under five-year-olds with the MeNZB™ vaccine ended in June 2008. This was due to the effectiveness of the special immunisation campaign in reducing rates of the disease in the community. However, the vaccine is still available for children and people who are considered at high risk of the disease - ask your doctor for advice.

What if my child hasn't finished their course of injections?
A child or at-risk person who had started the vaccinations but didn't complete the course by June 2008, will still be able to complete these.

How safe is the vaccine?
MeNZB™ vaccine is manufactured to international standards. There are no live bacteria in the vaccine, so it cannot cause meningococcal disease and it cannot lower your immunity to other infections. Millions of doses of vaccine similar to MeNZB™ have been used around the world for more than 20 years. The New Zealand trials found no safety concerns with the vaccine. An Independent Safety Monitoring Board, which is the public watchdog on the vaccine, has had no concerns after monitoring the first 1.2 million doses given in New Zealand.

Do people experience any side effects?
Most children and young people will react to the vaccine. The most common reactions are sore arms, temporary redness or swelling where the injection was given and skin reactions. A smaller number of people experience headache, nausea, feeling unwell, muscle and joint pain, and a slight fever.

These reactions mean the vaccine is working, and disappear within a few days. Serious reactions are very rare and usually occur in the first 20 minutes after vaccination. That is why everyone remains for 20 minutes after vaccination.

How well does the MeNZB™ vaccine work?
The MeNZB™ vaccine has provided the best protection available against the epidemic strain of meningococcal disease in New Zealand. Most people will be protected against the epidemic strain of meningococcal B for some years after immunisation.

It is important though to remain watchful for signs of meningococcal disease, as no vaccine is 100% effective and the vaccine won’t protect against other less common strains of meningococcal disease.

Immunisation helpline
The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) has a free (within New Zealand) helpline offering advice about immunisation, phone 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863). You can also see the IMAC website for more information about immunisations.

Original material provided by the Ministry of Health, July 2005, with later updates. Edited by everybody, updated April 2009.