Decision to widen access to the meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine for children under 5 years of age
What we’re doing
Pharmac is widening access to the meningococcal B vaccine (brand name Bexsero) for all children under 5 years of age.
The vaccine has been funded for children up to 12 months of age as part of the childhood immunisation schedule. A catch-up programme for children aged 13 to 59 months began on 1 March 2023 and is scheduled to end on 31 August 2025.
From September 2025, all children under 5 years of age will be able to access the fully funded meningococcal B vaccine. As a result of this change, we anticipate that up to 77,000 additional children could benefit from this change.
Why we’re proposing this
Preschool children under 5 years of age have the highest burden of invasive meningococcal disease.
The meningococcal B vaccine is currently funded for all children up to 12 months of age and is usually given at the 3-, 5- and 12-month milestone immunisation visits.
With this decision, children who did not complete their full vaccination course by 12 months of age will now be eligible to complete it up to 59 months of age.
Who we think will be most interested
- Healthcare professionals working in primary care and outreach vaccination settings
- Healthcare professionals with an interest in preventing serious infectious disease in children
- Health NZ and the National Public Health Service
- Suppliers and wholesalers
- Organisations with an interest in immunisation, including the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), Ministry of Health, and Public Health Agency.
Detail about this decision
The meningococcal B vaccine is currently funded for all children up to 12 months of age, with a catch-up programme to for all children from 13 to 59 months of age. The catch-up programme is due to end on 31 August 2025.
The decision to extend routine funding to all children under 5 years of age means that children will still be able to complete their full vaccination course if it was not completed in the routine childhood milestone immunisation visits in the first 12 months of life.
Meningococcal B vaccine is also funded for people 5 years of age and over if they have immunosuppression or a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of meningococcal infection. We have amended the wording of these criteria to make them easier to read, but the eligible group has not been changed.
The eligibility criteria for Meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine in Section I of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 September 2025 will be as follows (additions in bold, deletions in strikethrough):
MENINGOCOCCAL B MULTICOMPONENT VACCINE
a.) Only on a prescription
b.) No patient co-payment payable
c.) Any of the following:
A) A primary course of up to three doses for children up to the age of 59 months inclusive; Three doses for children up to 12 months of age (inclusive) for primary immunisation; or
B) Up to three doses (dependent on age at first dose) for a catch-up programme for children from 13 months to 59 months of age (inclusive) for primary immunisation, from 1 March 2023 to 31 August 2025; or
C) B) Both:
1.) Person is 5 years one year of age or over; and
2.) Any of the following:
i. up to two doses and a booster every five years for patients pre- and post-splenectomy; and for patients with functional or anatomic asplenia, HIV, complement deficiency (acquired or inherited), or pre- or post-solid organ transplant; or
ii. up to two doses for close contacts of meningococcal cases of any group; or and a booster every five years for patients with functional or anatomic asplenia, HIV, complement deficiency (acquired or inherited); or
iii. up to two doses for person who has previously had meningococcal disease of any group; or up to two doses and a booster every five years pre- or post-solid organ transplant; or
iv. up to two doses for bone marrow transplant patients; or up to two doses for close contacts of meningococcal cases of any group; or
v. up to two doses for a person who has previously had meningococcal disease of any group; or
vi. up to two doses for bone marrow transplant patients; or
vii. up to two doses for a person pre- and post-immunosuppression*; or
D) C) Both:
1.) Person is aged between 13 and 25 years (inclusive); and
2.) Either:
i. Two doses for individuals who are entering within the next three months, or in their first year of living in boarding school hostels, tertiary education halls of residence, military barracks, Youth Justice residences, or prisons; or
ii. Two doses for individuals who turn 13 years of age while living in boarding school hostels.
D) Contractors will be entitled to claim payment from the Funder for the supply of Meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine to patients eligible under the above criteria pursuant to their contract with Health New Zealand (Health NZ) for subsidised immunisation, and they may only do so in respect of the Meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine listed in the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
E) Contractors may only claim for patient populations within the criteria that are covered by their contract, which may be a sub-set of the population described in paragraphs A-C above.
*Immunosuppression due to corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive therapy must be for a period of greater than 28 days.
The eligibility criteria for Meningococcal B multicomponent vaccine in Section H of the Pharmaceutical Schedule from 1 September 2025 will be as follows (additions in bold, deletions in strikethrough, affected criteria shown only):
Restricted
Initiation – Primary immunisation for children up to 12 59 months of age inclusive
Therapy limited to 3 doses
A primary course of up to three doses (dependent on age at first dose) for previously unvaccinated children up to the age of 59 months inclusive.
Either:
1 Three doses for children up to 12 months of age (inclusive) for primary immunisation; or
2 Up to three doses (dependent on age at first dose) for a catch-up programme for children from 13 months to 59 months of age (inclusive) for primary immunisation, from 1 March 2023 to 31 August 2025.
Initiation – Person is one year of age or over High-risk individuals 5 years of age or over
Both:
- Person is aged at least 5 years; and
- Any of the following:
- Up to two doses and a booster every five years for patients pre- and post-splenectomy and for patients with functional or anatomic asplenia, HIV, complement deficiency (acquired or inherited), or pre- or post- solid organ transplant; or
- Up to two doses for close contacts of meningococcal cases of any group Up to two doses and a booster every five years for patients with functional or anatomic asplenia, HIV, complement deficiency (acquired or inherited); or
- Up to two doses for person who has previously had meningococcal disease of any group Up to two doses and a booster every five years pre- or post-solid organ transplant; or
- Up to two doses for bone marrow transplant patients Up to two doses for close contacts of meningococcal cases of any group; or
- Up to two doses for person pre- and post-immunosuppression*Up to two doses for a person who has previously had meningococcal disease of any group; or
- Up to two doses for bone marrow transplant patients; or
- Up to two doses for a person pre- and post-immunosuppression*.
*Immunosuppression due to corticosteroid or other immunosuppressive therapy must be for a period of greater than 28 days.
Implementation
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) is responsible for the implementation of the National Immunisation Schedule and will lead communications with service providers about the vaccination programme.
Health NZ's Immunisation Handbook(external link) will continue to provide information to vaccinators and healthcare professionals about Meningococcal B vaccine, including the recommended timing of doses.
If you have any questions about this decision, you can email us at enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz; or call our toll free number (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday) on 0800 660 050.