UKHSA has published new surveillance confirming 378 laboratory‑confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in England for the 2024/25 epidemiological year, with infants and young adults highlighted as the key risk groups. The release was issued on 31 October 2025 alongside the annual Health Protection Report update.
MenB remains the dominant strain, accounting for 82.6% of all confirmed cases (313 of 378). MenB caused 90% of cases in infants (35 of 39) and all 65 cases among 15 to 19‑year‑olds; it also represented 70% of cases in those aged 25 and over (119 of 170).
Case numbers fell markedly during periods of COVID‑19 restrictions and have since risen as social mixing returned, though overall incidence remains below 1 per 100,000. UKHSA notes the current case profile is driven mainly by MenB.
MenW cases increased to 43 in 2024/25 (up from 17 in 2023/24), with UKHSA linking much of the rise to recent travel to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. Numbers remain far below the 2015/16 peak seen before the MenACWY adolescent programme.
The infant MenB schedule was updated from 1 July 2025: doses are now offered at 8 and 12 weeks of age with a booster at 12 months. Teenagers are offered MenACWY in school Year 9, with catch‑up eligibility up to the 25th birthday-particularly relevant for new university entrants.
Coverage remains below pre‑pandemic levels in key cohorts. Year 9 MenACWY coverage reached 72.1% in the 2023/24 academic year, compared with 88.0% in 2018/19. UKHSA also reports a small fall in the latest quarterly MenB uptake at 12 months (down 0.3 percentage points to 91.4%).
Although still rare, the disease can be severe. UKHSA’s provisional case fatality ratio for 2024/25 is 8.2% (31 deaths among 378 cases) based on ONS death registrations and deaths within 28 days of sample date.
For delivery teams, the message is operationally straightforward: complete routine offers on time and use catch‑up opportunities in primary care and schools. UKHSA and NHS England reiterate that vaccines are available free through the NHS immunisation programme and advise those who missed doses to arrange appointments.
Students and young adults remain a priority group for opportunistic MenACWY vaccination because close‑contact settings increase transmission risk. Providers are encouraged to continue offering vaccination up to age 25, including at points of enrolment and during the academic year.
Public information stresses that vaccination does not cover every meningitis or sepsis presentation, so symptom awareness still matters. NHS guidance lists urgent symptoms including high fever, cold extremities, rapid breathing, severe headache, stiff neck, a rash that may be harder to see on brown or black skin, and confusion; people should seek immediate medical help if concerned.