Meningococcal vaccines in Belgium: ACWY, B, price

11 October 2026 · 11 min read

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In Belgium the meningococcal ACWY vaccine is free at 15 months in both Communities. The dose the Superior Health Council recommends at 15-16 is free in neither: it costs 52,60 € at the pharmacy.

The meningococcal B vaccine is neither in the basic schedule nor reimbursed: 86,52 € per dose of Bexsero, 76,98 € per dose of Trumenba. These public prices come from the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire, consulted on 10 October 2026; your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter.

Key takeaways

One dose of ACWY vaccine (Nimenrix) is free at 15 months, in Flanders and in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, since 2023.
The ACWY dose at 15-16 is recommended by the Superior Health Council but free in neither Community: 52,60 € at the pharmacy, on prescription.
Free catch-up stops at different ages: from 1 to 18 years in Flanders, up to 7 years in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The meningococcal B vaccine (86,52 € per dose of Bexsero, 76,98 € per dose of Trumenba) is not in the schedule, and CBIP/BCFI states that meningococcal vaccines are not reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV.
These public prices were taken from the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire on 10 October 2026: they can change, your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter.

Want this calendar mapped onto your child's dates?Use the interactive vaccination calendar →

Meningococcal ACWY or B: which vaccines exist in Belgium?

What people usually call "the meningitis vaccine" is two separate vaccines in Belgium, each with its own rules. The conjugate ACWY vaccine targets meningococci of serogroups A, C, W and Y. The B vaccine targets meningococcus B.

The ACWY vaccine is in the basic schedule: Avis 9761 of the Superior Health Council (CSS/HGR), published on 22 April 2026, keeps one dose between 13 and 15 months. The meningococcal B vaccine is not in it.

According to CBIP/BCFI, the monovalent meningococcal C vaccine (Neisvac-C) has no longer been marketed since May 2026. Back in 2019 the Council had recommended (Avis 9485) replacing the meningococcal C vaccine with the ACWY vaccine at 15 months.

At a glance	Meningococcal ACWY	Meningococcal B
Products	Nimenrix (Pfizer), Menveo (GSK)	Bexsero (GSK), Trumenba (Pfizer)
In the basic schedule	Yes, at 13-15 months	No
Free	The 15-month dose, in both Communities	No, in neither Community
Reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV	No	No
Public price per dose	52,60 €	86,52 € (Bexsero), 76,98 € (Trumenba)
Minimum age of the product	Nimenrix from 6 weeks, Menveo from 2 years	Bexsero from 2 months, Trumenba from 10 years

Public prices per dose taken from the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire on 10 October 2026. They can change: your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter.

The ACWY vaccine is in the basic schedule. The meningococcal B vaccine is not in it.

Source : CBIP/BCFI: Repertoire, meningococcal vaccines (FR) ↗vaccination-info.be: meningococcal disease (FR) ↗The child vaccination schedule in Belgium ↗

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Meningitis vaccine for babies and teenagers in Belgium: what is free?

15 months

Free ACWY dose, in both Communities

15-16 years

Dose recommended by the Council, paid for

52,60 €

Public price of the dose (CBIP/BCFI, 10/10/2026)

The schedule dose is free everywhere, and has been since 2023. In Flanders the vaccine is given at the age of 15 months. In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation it is one dose at 15 months, or at 13 months for premature babies. Both Communities supply Nimenrix.

In Flanders it is given at Kind en Gezin, by the GP or by the paediatrician. In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, at an ONE consultation, by the GP or by the paediatrician.

The teenage dose is paid for. The Superior Health Council recommends an ACWY dose at 15-16, together with the dTpa booster (Avis 9485, 2019). Neither Community supplies it free: CBIP/BCFI writes that only the first dose is made available free of charge, Flanders calls the vaccination a paying one, and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation says the dose remains at the parents’ expense.

It is bought at the pharmacy, on prescription from the GP or paediatrician, at the public price of 52,60 € (CBIP/BCFI Repertoire, consulted on 10 October 2026; your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter). Flanders specifies that these paying vaccines are not offered by the CLB or Kind en Gezin.

The pharmacist sells the vaccine but does not inject it: according to vaccination-info.be, pharmacists may prescribe and administer the flu and COVID-19 vaccines; the meningococcal vaccine is not among them. The pharmacy is therefore the point of sale, not the place of injection.

Rule	Flanders	Wallonia-Brussels Federation
Free schedule dose	15 months	15 months (13 months for premature babies)
Free catch-up	From 1 to 18 years	Up to 7 years (2nd year of primary school)
Catch-up condition	No meningococcal C or ACWY vaccine received yet	Never received a meningococcal C or ACWY vaccine
What is left to pay	The doctor’s consultation (administration via Kind en Gezin or a CLB is free); a vaccine bought at the pharmacy is not refunded by Flanders	Not stated on the pages read
Dose at 15-16	Paid for	Paid for, at the parents’ expense

The two Communities therefore differ sharply on catch-up: free up to 18 in Flanders, up to 7 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

For teenagers who did not get the 15-16 dose, the professional page of vaccination-info.be (updated on 4 August 2025) states that the Council recommends catch-up to the age of 19; that dose is not covered by the vaccination programme of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The Council’s 2019 fiche set this catch-up for 15 to 19 year olds until 2024, and no more recent Council text on the point was found.

The Superior Health Council recommends an ACWY dose at 15-16, but neither Community supplies it free.

Source : vaccination-info.be (professionals): meningococcal ACWY (FR) ↗Departement Zorg: meningococcal infection (NL) ↗Tool: the Belgian vaccination calendar ↗

How long does the meningococcal ACWY vaccine protect?

The official sources do not give the same answer, and none of these durations can be presented as the rule. Here is what each one writes.

Source	What it writes
CBIP/BCFI, Repertoire	Exact duration unknown. Antibodies and protection decline from 3 to 5 years after vaccination, especially in people vaccinated young. A response was seen for at least 5 years in people vaccinated at 11 or older.
Wanda, traveller page (25 March 2026)	Protection starts 10 days after the injection and lasts at least 5 years; at least 10 years for people aged 12 or over vaccinated with Nimenrix.
Wanda, doctors’ page (25 March 2026)	With continued exposure: a booster is recommended after 10 years with Nimenrix (from age 12), after 5 years with Menveo. Special rules under 12.
Superior Health Council, Avis 9759 (2023)	Medical risk: a booster every 5 years if the risk persists. Travel, if the indication persists: every 5 years with Menveo, every 10 years with Nimenrix for travellers who are not pilgrims.

For the free dose at 15 months, no source gives a duration of protection that a parent can use as it stands: CBIP/BCFI writes that the exact duration is not known. Whether a booster is needed is a question for your doctor or paediatrician.

The intervals in this table do not apply to the pilgrimage to Mecca, which follows its own rules: see our Hajj and Umrah guide.

The official sources do not give the same answer, and none of these durations can be presented as the rule.

Source : Wanda: meningococcal meningitis (FR) ↗Wanda for doctors: meningococcal meningitis ↗Superior Health Council: Avis 9759, people at risk of meningococcal infection (FR) ↗Hajj and Umrah vaccines: the Belgian guide ↗

Meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero): what does it cost, and who recommends it?

86,52 €

Bexsero, per dose (CBIP/BCFI, 10/10/2026)

76,98 €

Trumenba, per dose (CBIP/BCFI, 10/10/2026)

2 months

Minimum age for Bexsero; 10 years for Trumenba

The meningococcal B vaccine is not in the basic schedule. CBIP/BCFI sums up the position like this: the Superior Health Council does not recommend routine vaccination. According to the Council, it can be considered individually for children aged 2 months to 5 years and for 15 to 19 year olds. For medical risk groups, the Council recommends the vaccine (Avis 9759, 2023).

The reasons the Council gives against routine use: a low incidence, the need to vaccinate from 2 months together with the schedule vaccines with a high risk of fever, three injections in one visit, poor cost-effectiveness (an expensive vaccine, a rare disease) and no herd immunity.

Two products exist. Bexsero (GSK) can be used from 2 months, Trumenba (Pfizer) from 10 years. CBIP/BCFI notes that there are no studies comparing the two, and no official Belgian source consulted says which one to choose.

Neither free nor reimbursed: CBIP/BCFI writes that meningococcal vaccines are not reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV (situation as at 1 October 2025), and Flanders that this vaccine is not free and that there is no reimbursement. It is bought at the pharmacy, on prescription.

For whom	Schedule described by CBIP/BCFI	Cost of the vaccines (our calculation)
Infant under 1 year, Bexsero	8 weeks, 16 weeks, booster at 11-14 months (the Council’s preferred schedule)	3 × 86,52 € = 259,56 €
15-19 years, Bexsero	2 injections at least 1 month apart	2 × 86,52 € = 173,04 €
15-19 years, Trumenba	2 injections at least 6 months apart	2 × 76,98 € = 153,96 €

The totals are our own calculation from the public unit price taken from the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire on 10 October 2026. No source publishes these totals, and the consultation is not included. Your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter.

For risk groups the doctor sets the number of doses: CBIP/BCFI writes that a booster dose is to be considered for them. This guide therefore gives no total for those groups.

On duration, CBIP/BCFI writes that Bexsero partially protects the vaccinated infant and that protection probably lasts 2 years. Meningococcal B vaccines have no effect on carriage or transmission.

Whether or not to vaccinate your child against meningococcus B is an individual decision. This guide describes the official position and the cost, and does not decide for you: talk to your doctor or paediatrician.

Whether or not to vaccinate your child against meningococcus B is an individual decision: talk to your doctor or paediatrician.

Source : Superior Health Council: Avis 9485, meningococcal vaccination (FR) ↗CBIP/BCFI: Repertoire, meningococcal vaccines (FR) ↗

How much do meningococcal vaccines cost at the pharmacy?

All the prices below are the public prices in the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire, for one dose, in a public pharmacy, consulted on 10 October 2026.

Vaccine	Product	Public price	INAMI/RIZIV	Consulted on
ACWY conjugate	Nimenrix (Pfizer), 1 dose	52,60 €	Not reimbursed	10 October 2026
ACWY conjugate	Nimenrix (Orifarm Belgium, parallel distribution), 1 dose	52,60 €	Not reimbursed	10 October 2026
ACWY conjugate	Menveo (GSK), 1 dose	52,60 €	Not reimbursed	10 October 2026
Meningococcal B	Bexsero (GSK), 0,5 ml pre-filled syringe	86,52 €	Not reimbursed	10 October 2026
Meningococcal B	Trumenba (Pfizer), 0,5 ml pre-filled syringe	76,98 €	Not reimbursed	10 October 2026
Meningococcal C	Neisvac-C	None: no longer marketed since May 2026 according to CBIP/BCFI	Not applicable	10 October 2026

These prices apply to the public pharmacy and can change: your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter. Hospital-circuit prices were not checked.

On reimbursement, CBIP/BCFI writes (situation as at 1 October 2025) that meningococcal vaccines are not reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV. That applies to ACWY and to B alike. The free circuit is the Communities’ one, for the ACWY schedule dose and its catch-up.

For people at risk, the Council’s Avis 9759 (2023) recommends the B and ACWY vaccines where there is a medical risk, for example complement deficiency, treatment with a complement inhibitor, asplenia or hyposplenia (including sickle cell disease) or a haematopoietic stem cell transplant, and also for laboratory staff who handle meningococcus.

No reimbursement for these risk groups was found in the sources read: the Council recommends, CBIP/BCFI lists no INAMI/RIZIV category, and meningococcus is not on the list of vaccinations reimbursed by Fedris. Ask your doctor and your mutuality what applies to your situation.

No reimbursement for the risk groups was found in the sources read.

Source : Vaccine prices in Belgium: the full table ↗CBIP/BCFI: Repertoire, meningococcal vaccines (FR) ↗Fedris: reimbursement of vaccinations (FR) ↗

Meningococcal vaccine before travel: who is it for, and how long before departure?

10 days

Minimum lead time before departure (CBIP/BCFI)

6 to 8 weeks

Travel consultation ahead of time (Wanda)

52,60 €

The ACWY dose, not reimbursed (CBIP/BCFI, 10/10/2026)

Wanda describes the risk of meningococcal infection while travelling as very low, and recommends the ACWY vaccine in specific situations (page updated on 25 March 2026):

A stay in the sub-Saharan "meningitis belt" between December and June, if you are in close contact with the local population, stay more than four weeks or have a spleen condition.
A trip to an area where an outbreak is under way.
A long period of study abroad, for young people not vaccinated in the last 10 years. Some countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, may ask international students for proof.

The schedule: one injection from the age of 1 and in adults, at least 10 days before departure according to CBIP/BCFI. Wanda adds that protection starts 10 days after the injection. Other schedules exist under 1 year and in some forms of immunosuppression: the doctor sets those.

For the appointment, Wanda advises a consultation at least six to eight weeks before departure, and Flanders advises checking your vaccines six weeks before. The ACWY vaccine is given by your GP or at a travel clinic: the restriction to approved centres applies to yellow fever only.

The travel dose costs the public price, 52,60 € (CBIP/BCFI, consulted on 10 October 2026, to be confirmed by your pharmacy), with no INAMI/RIZIV reimbursement. Wanda also writes that the meningococcal B vaccine is not specifically recommended for travellers.

A meningococcal ACWY vaccination certificate is tied to pilgrimage travel to Mecca: the rules are set out in our Hajj and Umrah guide.

One injection from the age of 1 and in adults, at least 10 days before departure according to CBIP/BCFI.

Source : Wanda: meningococcal meningitis (FR) ↗Wanda: travel consultation (FR) ↗Hajj and Umrah vaccines: the Belgian guide ↗Travel vaccines from Belgium ↗Tool: which vaccines for your destination ↗

What does your mutuality pay back for a meningococcal vaccine?

INAMI/RIZIV does not reimburse these vaccines. That leaves the supplementary insurance of your mutuality (health fund): vaccination-info.be writes that some mutualities grant their members an additional contribution (page updated on 2 June 2026).

No mutuality page opened on 10 October 2026 gives an amount specific to meningococcal vaccines. They only give general yearly ceilings, for all vaccines together. Here are the ones we could read on the mutualities’ official sites; those pages carry no date.

Mutuality	What its page says	Good to know
Solidaris Wallonie	25 € a year for anti-infectious vaccines at the top of the page; up to 30 € a year per beneficiary lower on the same page	The page gives two amounts. BVAC certificate from the pharmacist; vaccine recognised by Solidaris.
Mutualité Libérale (ML MUTPLUS.be)	50 % of the price paid, maximum 30 € per calendar year	All vaccines recognised in Belgium, travel vaccines included. Nothing if the vaccine is free under a public programme. BVAC certificate or vaccination-centre certificate.
Helan	Maximum 25 € a year	For vaccines not reimbursed by the compulsory insurance, according to the Dutch and English pages. The French page words the condition differently: have it confirmed.
Partenamut	Up to 35 € a year	All vaccines registered in Belgium, including travel vaccines and those the compulsory insurance does not cover, with no age condition. BVAC certificate.
Mutualité chrétienne / CM	Page not read	The mc.be and cm.be pages could not be opened on 10 October 2026: check them yourself.
Other mutualities	Not checked here	Ask your mutuality.

These are the amounts each mutuality publishes itself; they can differ by region and by plan. An information page of vaccination-info.be for professionals mentions a contribution of 20 to 30 €, usually once a year.

Ask your pharmacist for the BVAC certificate when you buy the vaccine, and check the ceiling on your own mutuality’s page.

Source : Helan: vaccines ↗Partenamut: vaccination (FR) ↗Mutualité Libérale: vaccine reimbursement (FR) ↗Solidaris Wallonie: vaccines (FR) ↗vaccination-info.be: free vaccines and reimbursements (FR) ↗

What do the official sources not say?

On the following points, no official source consulted on 10 October 2026 gives an answer. For your own situation, your doctor, your pharmacist or your mutuality can help.

Why the ACWY dose at 15-16 is not funded, and whether it will be: no official explanation and no announced date.
A reimbursement for people at medical risk: none was found in the sources read.
The price of vaccination at a travel clinic: the Institute of Tropical Medicine publishes only an approximate total of 50 to 150 €, vaccines and consultation together, on an undated page.
How long the free dose at 15 months protects: CBIP/BCFI writes that the exact duration is not known.
Which brand of B vaccine to choose: CBIP/BCFI notes the absence of comparative studies.
Whether the catch-up recommendation for 15 to 19 year olds still stands after 2024: no recent Superior Health Council text says so.

Source : Where to find your vaccination history in Belgium ↗Institute of Tropical Medicine: clinic FAQ ↗

Frequently asked questions

Is the meningitis vaccine free in Belgium?

One dose of ACWY vaccine is free at 15 months in both Communities. The ACWY dose recommended at 15-16 and the meningococcal B vaccine are paid for.

How much does the meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) cost in Belgium?

The public price is 86,52 € per dose of Bexsero and 76,98 € per dose of Trumenba, according to the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire consulted on 10 October 2026. CBIP/BCFI states that these vaccines are not reimbursed by INAMI/RIZIV; your pharmacy confirms the amount at the counter.

How much does the meningococcal ACWY vaccine cost for a teenager of 15-16?

The dose costs 52,60 € at the pharmacy, on prescription (public price in the CBIP/BCFI Repertoire, consulted on 10 October 2026, to be confirmed at the counter). It is recommended by the Superior Health Council but free in neither Community.

Up to what age is ACWY catch-up free?

In Flanders, from 1 to 18 years for a child or young person who has not yet had any meningococcal C or ACWY vaccine. In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, up to 7 years (2nd year of primary school), on the same condition.

How long before a trip do you need the vaccine?

At least 10 days before departure according to CBIP/BCFI, for one injection from the age of 1. Wanda advises planning the travel consultation at least six to eight weeks before departure.

Is the meningococcal vaccine reimbursed for people at risk?

No reimbursement for the risk groups was found in the sources read, although the Superior Health Council recommends the B and ACWY vaccines where there is a medical risk. Ask your doctor and your mutuality what applies to your situation.