La vaccination est obligatoire pour les enfants nés à partir de 2023.Choreograph (Konstantin Yuganov) / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty Images
Recent recommendations from the French health authority, the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS), have expanded coverage for vaccinations against meningococcal disease. The changes, effective as of March 13, 2025, and July 17, 2025, include financial support – covering 65% of the cost and approval for local health organizations – for additional vaccines.
This expansion extends to a temporary catch-up vaccination program for children who were not initially required to receive these vaccines. The NIMENRIX vaccine was also recently included in this expanded coverage, as reported on March 3, 2026.
According to an official notice, this temporary catch-up program is specifically for children born in 2020, 2021, and 2022. This initiative comes in response to a continued increase in invasive meningococcal infections observed in 2023 and 2024.
Currently, vaccination against meningococcal serogroups ACWY and B is mandatory for all children born since January 2025. These measures aim to protect a vulnerable population and prevent the spread of a potentially life-threatening disease.
Meningococcal Vaccination: Catch-Up Program for Children Over 2 Years Old
As outlined in the vaccine’s market authorization:
- MENVEO is approved for active immunization of children from 2 years of age, adolescents, and adults at risk of exposure to Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y, to prevent invasive disease;
- BEXSERO is indicated for active immunization of individuals from 2 months of age against invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis group B.
For children born in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the catch-up vaccination applies to those who have not yet been vaccinated against meningococcal B and ACWY, including those who have only received the vaccine for serogroup C.
The recommended catch-up vaccination schedule for children over 2 years of age is as follows:
- For vaccination against meningococcal serogroups ACWY: a single dose;
- For vaccination against meningococcal B: two doses spaced one month apart.
