Meningitis - Prevention 

There are a number of vaccines that can prevent many cases of viral and bacterial meningitis. They include:

• the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination
• the meningitis C vaccination
• the DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccination, which provides protection against the Hib virus, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio
• The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)

Children should receive these vaccines as part of their childhood vaccination programme. Speak to your GP if you are not sure whether you or your child's vaccinations are up to date.

See the Vaccinations Planner for more information about the different types of vaccines that are available and the schedule for having these. 

Vaccines for travellers

If you are going travelling, you can be vaccinated against groups A, C, W135 and Y of the meningococcal bacteria. This vaccine may be  considered if you are travelling to a high-risk area, such as some parts of Africa, and you are:

• staying for longer than one month
• backpacking
• living with locals in rural areas
• attending the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages (religious journeys to Mecca, the centre of the Islamic world) in Saudi Arabia
• doing seasonal work in the Hajj area of Saudi Arabia

See the Health A-Z topic about Travel vaccinations for more information.

For up to date information about what areas are considered to be high risk, see:

• NHS Fit for Travel
• National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)