Asda has revealed that eligible Brits will be able to book free vaccines at Asda Pharmacies as part of an NHS catch-up jab campaign. The National Health Service is urging hundreds of thousands of students who are heading to university this autumn to book a potentially lifesaving Meningitis B vaccine from today before term starts. Appointments to get the jab can now be booked at high street pharmacies across England, including Asda Pharmacies.
Free vaccines are available to 17 and 18-year-olds currently in the last year of sixth form and students under the age of 25 who are heading to residential colleges or university this autumn for the first time. An appointment can be booked through the National Booking Service. Asda has also announced a £5 rewards offer for those who are outside the eligibility bracket for a free MenB vaccine.
The first vaccine appointments became available on Monday, July 20.
It is spread through close contact with an infected person, with students in their first year of university having a risk that is about 7 times higher than that of young people of a similar age who do not go to university.
Around a million young people are expected to be eligible for the vaccine, the NHS says. Meanwhile, it can also be booked privately in Asda Pharmacies if people are not eligible for the free jab.
Between 20 July and 31 August, customers who purchase a private Meningitis B vaccination at an Asda Pharmacy will receive £5 in their Asda Rewards Cashpot.
Asda says its in-store pharmacies already offer the most competitively priced private Meningitis B vaccination service in the UK.
Customers who want to receive the vaccination privately can speak to their local Asda Pharmacy or visit the Asda Pharmacy website for more information.
Chief executive of Meningitis Now Dr Tom Nutt said: “We warmly welcome Asda Pharmacy’s support for the NHS MenB vaccination programme and its commitment to helping more young people protect themselves against this devastating disease.
“MenB remains the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK and teenagers and young adults are among those at greatest risk. Every eligible young person should take up this potentially life-saving NHS vaccination.”
“We also recognise the value of making vaccination more accessible for those who are not eligible for the NHS programme, helping more people make informed choices about protecting themselves,” he added.
“At Meningitis Now, our No Plan B for MenB campaign has long called for better protection against MenB, and the availability of both the NHS programme and the private vaccine at a major supermarket pharmacy like Asda plays an important role in reducing the devastating impact that meningitis can have on individuals, families and communities.”
The NHS said that booking now gives eligible young people enough time to have both doses before they leave for university or college.
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