At Least 10 Days Before Arrival
Saudi Arabia requires vaccination at least 10 days before arrival for Hajj and Umrah, and the certificate must be valid at the point of entry.
Meningitis ACWY Vaccination
Meningitis ACWY vaccination at £75, including the certificate for Hajj and Umrah.
Required with a certificate for Hajj and Umrah, and advised for the African meningitis belt and for students moving into shared accommodation. One injection covers groups A, C, W and Y, and same-day appointments are usually available.
- Certificate Provided
- Single Injection
- Same Day Appointments
- Covers Four Strains
- CQC registered
- GMC-registered
Book Your MENINGITIS VACCINE
Meningococcal disease causes meningitis and septicaemia. It is uncommon, but it moves fast, and it can kill within hours, which is why prevention matters far more than for most travel infections.
Two groups of people need this vaccine most. Pilgrims travelling for Hajj or Umrah, where Saudi Arabia requires proof of ACWY vaccination as a visa condition, because large crowds from many countries create ideal transmission conditions. Travellers to the African meningitis belt, a band across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, particularly during the dry season from December to June.
A single injection covers four strains, A, C, W and Y, and gives three to five years of protection. For Hajj and Umrah, you need the certificate as well as the vaccine, and it must be given within a specific window before you arrive, so book with time to spare rather than in the week before you fly.
Why Patient Choose Our Meningitis Vaccination Service
- Certificate issued at the appointment for Hajj and Umrah visa purposes.
- Same day appointments, including during the Hajj and Umrah season.
- Single injection covering four strains.
- Full travel risk assessment, since pilgrims and Africa travellers usually need other vaccines too.
- Multiple vaccines in one visit where clinically appropriate.
- Group and family bookings for pilgrimage travel.
- Vaccination records provided.
- Ten clinics across the UK.
- No NHS registration or referral required.
When to have Meningitis Vaccination
Two to Three Weeks for Other Travel
Protection develops within a couple of weeks.
Season Matters for Africa
Risk in the meningitis belt is highest in the dry season, December to June.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday 9am - 2pm.
How To Book Meningitis Vaccination
Step 1
Book Your Appointment
At least 10 days before arrival for Hajj or Umrah, check your visa requirements
Step 2
Travel Risk Assessment
Your itinerary and other vaccination needs are reviewed.
Step 3
Vaccination
A single injection in the upper arm.
Step 4
Your Certificate
Certificate completed and signed at the appointment. Keep it with your travel documents.
Who should Have It
- Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, as the MenACWY vaccine and its certificate are required for a Saudi visa.
- Travellers visiting the African meningitis belt from Senegal to Ethiopia, especially between December and June.
- People planning longer stays or close contact with local communities in high-risk regions.
- Backpackers, volunteers, and people living or working long-term in affected areas.
- Anyone travelling to a region during a known local outbreak of meningococcal disease.
- University students, particularly first-year students living in halls or anyone who missed the school vaccination programme.
- People without a functioning spleen, with complement disorders, or with other conditions that increase their risk.
- Anyone who previously had a severe reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients should not receive it, and vaccination is usually postponed during an acute fever.
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Preparing for HAJJ OR UMRAH
- Meningitis ACWY, required with certificate. £75.
- Seasonal flu vaccination, recommended given crowding. £35.
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polio boosters if yours are out of date. £50.
- Hepatitis A, worth considering. £50.
- Check Saudi entry requirements, which are updated periodically and may include other vaccines depending on the year and your country of origin
- Practical advice on heat, hydration, foot care and crowd safety, which cause more problems for pilgrims than infections do.
What is Meningitis vaccination?
Meningococcal bacteria are carried harmlessly in the nose and throat of a proportion of healthy people. Occasionally they invade, causing meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or septicaemia, blood poisoning, or both. It is not common, but it progresses within hours rather than days and can be fatal or leave permanent disability, which is what justifies vaccinating against something you are statistically unlikely to catch.
Know the symptoms, because speed of treatment is everything: severe headache, fever, stiff neck, dislike of bright light, drowsiness or confusion, cold hands and feet, and a rash that does not fade when pressed. The rash appears late and may not appear at all, so do not wait for it. If someone is deteriorating rapidly, seek emergency care immediately and say you are worried about meningitis. This applies at home as much as abroad.
The vaccine is a conjugate vaccine covering serogroups A, C, W and Y. It is not live. A single dose gives protection developing over about two weeks and lasting three to five years. Side effects are usually a sore arm and occasionally mild fever.
What it does not cover. Serogroup B, which causes most meningococcal disease in the UK, is not included. MenB vaccine is separate and part of the UK infant schedule. So ACWY protects you for travel purposes and for the strains relevant to Hajj and the meningitis belt, but it is not blanket protection against all meningitis, and neither is any vaccine.
Meningitis Vaccination vs NHS: What's The Difference?
| Private | NHS | |
|---|---|---|
| For Hajj and Umrah | £75 with certificate | Often free at GP practices for pilgrims |
| For meningitis belt travel | £75 | Sometimes free, varies by practice |
| Teenage schedule | Not applicable | Free for eligible school years |
| University students who missed it | £75 | Free up to age 25 for those who missed the schools programme |
| Waiting time | Same Day | Depends on practice capacity |
| Certificate | Issued at appointment | Issued |
Many GP practices provide ACWY free for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, and it is free on the NHS up to age 25 for anyone who missed the school programme. Ask your practice first if you have time. Private vaccination is worth paying for when you cannot get an appointment before you travel, or want everything done in one visit.
Meningitis Vaccination FAQs
£75 for a single injection, including your certificate.
Three to five years
A, C, W and Y.
Yes, usually in the same visit.
Severe headache, fever, stiff neck, light sensitivity, confusion, cold hands and feet. Seek emergency care immediately. Do not wait for a rash.
Yes. Saudi Arabia requires ACWY vaccination with a certificate as a visa condition.
Often, for pilgrims at GP practices, and free up to 25 for anyone who missed the teenage programme. Worth asking first.
If that was more than five years ago and you are travelling to a risk area or on pilgrimage, yes.
Usually a sore arm and occasionally mild fever for a day.
Contact us for a replacement from our records before you travel.
Ready to Book Your Meningitis Vaccination?
Book a same day appointment and get your certificate at the appointment. Remember: at least 10 days before arrival for Hajj and Umrah.