Meningitis B Vaccination Service FAQs

Q. How do pharmacy owners inform NHS England that they intend to provide the MenB Vaccination Service?
Pharmacy owners who decided to provide the service had to complete an electronic registration declaration. The deadline for registration was 11.59pm on 20th July 2026.

Q. Can distance selling premises (DSP) pharmacies provide the MenB Vaccination Service?
Yes, however, DSP pharmacies are not permitted to provide vaccinations to patients at the pharmacy premises. With consent from the NHS England regional vaccination team, DSPs can provide vaccinations away from their pharmacy premises.

Q. My pharmacy has an LPS contract; will I be able to provide the MenB Vaccination Service?
All the services to be provided by an LPS pharmacy owner must be agreed between the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the pharmacy and be included in the LPS contract. If they wish to provide the service, the LPS pharmacy owner should contact their local contract management team/ICB to propose a contract variation, to include the MenB Vaccination Service.

Q. My pharmacy does not have a consultation room; can I provide the MenB Vaccination Service?
No. Having a consultation room which meets the applicable requirements of the Pharmacy Regulations is a prerequisite for provision of the MenB Vaccination Service (except for DSPs).

DSP pharmacies are not permitted to provide vaccinations to patients at the pharmacy premises, so don’t need a consultation room there.

Q. We are a DSP pharmacy without a consultation room; can I provide the MenB Vaccination Service to patients off-site, e.g. at a university campus?
Yes, provided you have obtained prior consent from the NHS England regional vaccinations team to provide vaccinations away from your pharmacy premises.

Q. Can the PGD be signed remotely (electronic signature) by the authorising manager, for example, from head office for all pharmacies in a group?
Yes. It is possible for the PGD to be signed remotely (electronic signature); however, the authorising manager still needs to be able to confirm that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians (and other individuals authorised to work under the PGD):

• Are aware of the service specification and requirements for provision of the service;
• Have demonstrated their competence to provide the service; and
• Have the organisation’s approval to provide the service.

Q. Should a copy of the signed PGD be kept at the pharmacy for each pharmacist, pharmacy technician (or other individuals authorised to work under the PGD) providing the service at the pharmacy?
Yes. The PGDs state that a copy of them, with the completed practitioner authorisation sheet, should be retained and available at the pharmacy premises as a record of those practitioners authorised to work under the PGD.

Q. Does a pharmacy owner need to keep evidence of vaccinator competency for all individuals that deliver the MenB Vaccination Service?
Yes. The service specification states that pharmacy owners must keep evidence of competency relating to any staff that they employ/engage to deliver the service.

Q. Can pharmacy staff other than a pharmacist administer the vaccine?
Yes. Under the authority of the PGD, vaccinations can be provided by any practitioner listed in the Qualifications and professional registration section of the PGD, which mirrors the groups of practitioners authorised to supply or administer medication via a PGD under current legislation.

However, the Responsible Pharmacist at the registered pharmacy premises is still professionally responsible for overseeing these services.

If the Responsible Pharmacist is unable to provide sufficient oversight, for example due to workload or where vaccinations are undertaken off the pharmacy premises, an on-site pharmacist or pharmacy technician responsible for the delivery of the service must be linked and work closely with the Responsible Pharmacist and Superintendent Pharmacist through an appropriate governance framework to ensure appropriate oversight of the service.

Q. Can a pharmacy technician of nurse administer the vaccine as part of the service?
Yes. However, the Responsible Pharmacist at the registered pharmacy premises is still professionally responsible for overseeing this service.

If the Responsible Pharmacist is unable to provide sufficient oversight, for example due to workload or where vaccinations are undertaken off the pharmacy premises, an on-site pharmacist or pharmacy technician responsible for the delivery of the service must be linked and work closely with the Responsible Pharmacist and Superintendent Pharmacist through an appropriate governance framework to ensure appropriate oversight of the service.

Q. Can pharmacy technicians supervise NHS vaccination services in a community pharmacy?
The Responsible Pharmacist at the registered pharmacy premises is professionally responsible for overseeing the service.

If the Responsible Pharmacist is unable to provide sufficient oversight, for example due to workload or where vaccinations are undertaken off the pharmacy premises, an on-site pharmacist or pharmacy technician responsible for the delivery of the service must be linked and work closely with the Responsible Pharmacist and Superintendent Pharmacist through an appropriate governance framework to ensure appropriate oversight of the service.

Q. Can a pharmacist providing the service and qualified as an independent prescriber prescribe the vaccine for patients, rather than using the PGD?
No. The Advanced Service only uses a PGD to authorise administration of the vaccine.

Q. Do pharmacists, pharmacy technicians or other individuals authorised to work under the PGD have to send a copy of the signed PGD to NHS England or another organisation?
No. The signed PGD should be retained in the pharmacy where the vaccines are being administered.

Q. Can a pharmacy company with multiple pharmacies nominate one authorising manager for all pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other individuals authorised to work under the PGD to sign the PGD, for example, the superintendent pharmacist?
Yes. It is for the pharmacy owner to determine who should be an authorising manager within their organisation.

Q. Who should complete the authorising manager declaration section on the PGD?
It is for the pharmacy owner to determine who should be an authorising manager within their organisation. The authorising manager’s role is to confirm that individuals providing the service:

• Are aware of the service specification and requirements for provision of the service;
• Have demonstrated their competence to provide the service; and
• Have the organisation’s approval to provide the service.

In certain circumstances, for example, a community pharmacy where the pharmacist who will administer vaccines is also the superintendent pharmacist and pharmacy owner, it may be necessary for the authorising manager to be the same person as the practitioner, though this situation should be avoided wherever possible.

Q. What IT system will be used for this service?
Pharmacy owners must use NHS England’s Record A Vaccination Service (RAVS) system. Pharmacy owners without current access to RAVS can request access through the following link.

Q. Is there mandatory MenB training for the service?
No, there is not a mandatory training programme to complete, however, the below resources provide options to use for training staff on the service:

UKHSA guidance for health professionals delivering the vaccination programme

UKHSA training slide set to accompany the above guidance

UKHSA and NHS England letter and annex on the MenB time limited vaccination offer.

Q. Do I need to have a DBS check to provide the MenB Vaccination Service?
Yes, all those involved in delivering vaccination activity as part of this service must have an enhanced DBS check against the children’s barred list

Q. Must I use the national booking service (NBS) to offer vaccination appointments?
Pharmacy owners must offer MenB vaccinations through NBS to patients.

Q. Is there a minimum number of appointments I must offer on NBS as part of the services?
Yes, the current specification requires that where pharmacy owners are providing MenB vaccinations, they must offer at least 100 listed appointments per month from the service commencement date and that appointments are available at various times throughout the pharmacy’s full opening hours, including late afternoons and Saturdays (where the pharmacy owner is open on Saturdays).

Q. Must we offer walk-in appointments for the MenB Vaccination Service?
Paragraph 4.18 of the service specification requires pharmacy owners to offer vaccination through advertised walk-in clinics via the NHS Pharmacy Services Finder. However, as no functionality to highlight the availability of such appointments has been added to that NHS IT system, the requirement in the service specification does not apply.

Pharmacy owners could choose to offer walk-in appointments in other ways if they wish to, such as highlighting a walk-in offer via display material in their pharmacy, information on their website, etc.

Q. Do I need to update NHS Profile Manager to identify that my pharmacy is providing the MenB service?
No. There are several references in the service specification to pharmacies updating their NHS website profile via NHS Profile Manager to highlight they are providing the service or are withdrawing from provision of the service. Since the service specification was agreed and published, NHS England took the decision to update NHS website pharmacy profiles centrally, once a pharmacy was registered to provide the service and had vaccine stock allocated to them. Pharmacy owners therefore do not need to use NHS Profile Manager to update their NHS website profile in relation to the MenB vaccination service.

Q. I want to develop my own promotional materials for the vaccination service(s); am I allowed to do this?
Yes. However, pharmacy owners must ensure they comply with the requirements of the Terms of Service relating to promotion of services funded by the NHS and if the NHS logo is used in materials related to the service, this must comply with the guidelines for use of the NHS identity by community pharmacies.

The MenB Vaccination Service page on our website provides links to resources from Community Pharmacy England, UK Health Security Agency and other organisations which pharmacy owners can use if they do not want to develop their own materials.

Q. Can a pharmacy owner provide a patient with any kind of free gift if they have a vaccination under the Advanced Service?
No. The Terms of Service state that a pharmacy must not offer any gift or reward to any person as an inducement to receive any Advanced Service.

Q. Is it right that the current Year 13 age group are only eligible for the MenB vaccine if they are going to university or residential higher education?  
No. All young people born between 1st September 2007 and 31st August 2008 – the current Year 13 age group – are eligible for the MenB vaccine. They are eligible solely on the basis of their date of birth, whether they also plan to go to university, further education or have other plans after leaving school.

The following flowchart can be used to help patients and staff assess eligibility for vaccination: UKHSA Patient eligibility flowchart (PDF version)

Q. Is there any additional evidence of eligibility that needs to be checked for current Year 13 pupils?
No. Young people in the current school Year 13 are eligible for MenB vaccines based on their date of birth (born between 1st September 2007 and 31st August 2008). They are eligible regardless of any future further education plans.

Q. How are patients invited for a vaccination?
Those eligible in year 13 will be contacted directly through the NHS App, text, email or letter depending on records held by the health service.

Q. Should pharmacy teams verify the eligibility of patients requesting MenB vaccinations under the service?
Yes, pharmacy teams must confirm each patient’s eligibility prior to the administration of a vaccine regardless of the route through which the patient has presented for their vaccination. Details of evidence that can be presented is provided on our main MenB vaccination service page.

Q. Can a patient who lives in one of the other home countries, for example, Wales or Scotland, have an NHS MenB vaccine at a pharmacy in England?
Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements as stated in the service specification.

Q. If a patient is under 25 and attending higher education but in a different country, are they eligible?
Yes, individual’s in the 18-24 year old cohort and attending a higher education establishment abroad for the first time are eligible for vaccination. This aligns with the offer to vaccinate international students coming into the UK for a further education place for the first time in autumn 2026.

Q. If a patient has received their first dose of the MenB vaccine privately, but is now eligible for the NHS service (and meets the other eligibility criteria) can they receive their second dose under the NHS MenB Vaccination Service?
Yes, the second dose can be given under the NHS MenB Vaccination Service.

Pharmacists/pharmacy technicians should follow the advice in Annex A of the service specification as to the recommendations regarding administration of MenB vaccine to individuals with incomplete vaccination status depending on the number of prior doses received and which specific vaccine has previously been administered.

Q. Do I need to obtain consent from the regional NHS England vaccination team before vaccinating a patient off-site, e.g. at a University campus?
Yes.

Q. Is there an additional payment for vaccinations administered off-site?
No.

Q. Can my off-site location be added to the national booking service (NBS) so it is visible to patients when booking?
Yes. Off-site locations can be added to the NBS. Pharmacy owners should contact their ICV/SVOC to arrange this.

Q. Will my pharmacy need to be registered with the CQC to provide the service?
No. The CQC does not regulate community pharmacies in relation to the provision of pharmaceutical services (including administration of vaccines); that is the role of the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Q. What should I do if there is a power failure to the fridge containing the vaccines?
You should refer to the Vaccine incident guidance and the vaccine product’s Summary of Product Characteristics. Further advice could be obtained from your Regional Vaccination Operations Centre (Futures platform – login required).

Q. Can a pharmacy buy vaccines direct from the manufacturer?
No. These must only be ordered from NHS central stock.

Q. Do patients who are not exempt from prescription charges have to pay a prescription charge for their vaccination that is administered as part of the service?
No.

Q. Is it mandatory for a pharmacy to have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the service?
Yes.

Q. Do we need to have a needle stick injury procedure?
Yes.

Q. Can I use an adrenaline auto-injector to treat anaphylaxis?
The Green Book states that autoinjectors for self-administration of adrenaline should not be used as a substitute for a proper anaphylaxis pack (see above). However, if an adrenaline auto-injector is the only available adrenaline preparation when treating anaphylaxis, health care providers should use it.

Q. If a pharmacist or pharmacy technician administers adrenaline in an emergency to treat anaphylaxis, is a PGD required to authorise the administration?
No. Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 allows adrenaline to be administered by anyone for the purpose of saving life in an emergency.

Q. What are the storage requirements for vaccines?
Vaccines should be stored in line with the requirements set out by their manufacturer in the Bexsero® SmPC.

The Green Book, chapter 3, Storage, distribution and disposal of vaccines provides additional guidance for all providers, including community pharmacies, on the storage requirements for vaccines.

Q. What records should I make if a patient has an adverse reaction to a vaccine?
A record of any adverse reaction from a MenB vaccine and any treatment administered or advised should be made by the pharmacy. Where the adverse reaction is deemed to be clinically significant by the pharmacist or pharmacy technician, this information may also be shared with the patient’s GP practice. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are reminded to report all serious suspected ADRs, even if the effect is well recognised, and all suspected ADRs linked to new medicines and vaccines to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via the Yellow Card scheme. New medicines and vaccines that are under additional monitoring are indicated by an inverted black triangle symbol (▼) displayed in their package, leaflet and summary of product characteristics.

Pharmacy professionals can report suspected side effects to the MHRA via:

• The Yellow Card website; or
• The free Yellow Card app, downloadable from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Q. Can MenB vaccines be moved between pharmacy contractors?
The vaccines can only be moved or supplied in line with the Human Medicines Regulations. Movement between legal entities is only permitted where an organisation has, and uses, a WDL. Movement with a legal entity is permitted but details should be shared with NHS England via the Vaccines Transfer App.

Q. Can all the eligible patient cohorts book an appointment for vaccination via NBS?
No. At this time, only individuals in the age range associated with the current school Year 13 (individuals born on or after 1st September 2007 and on or before 31st August 2008), can book an appointment on NBS. That cohort represents around 80% of eligible patients.

The remaining patient cohorts will need to book appointments locally with a pharmacy or be provided a vaccination as a walk-in patient. Changes to NBS are planned to allow those cohorts to book NBS appointments, with the change to the website expected to take place in early September.

Q. Are individuals who have booked a vaccine appointment via NBS able to book their second appointment while they are in the pharmacy once they have had their first dose?
No. Individuals will be able to book their second appointment on NBS only from the morning after their first appointment. Pharmacy owners should continue to remind individuals at the point of vaccination that they will need a second dose but that they will have to wait until the next day to book this on NBS.

Q. Must patient consent be recorded in writing?
No. Patient consent should be obtained verbally and should be recorded in the pharmacy’s clinical record for the service. A signed consent record is not required.

Some patients may be unable to provide verbal consent, but this is not synonymous with lacking capacity. The individual just needs to be able to communicate their decision clearly and this decision should then be captured in the pharmacy’s clinical record for the service.

Q. Do I need to make a claim on MYS at the end of the month for payment of the vaccinations I have provided?
Yes. Pharmacy owners must claim for vaccination programmes through the NHSBSA’s MYS portal. Claims for payment must be made within one month of and no later than three months from the claim period for the chargeable activity provided.