Boots is restarting the private meningitis B vaccination service that it was forced to abandon in January following a global vaccine shortage.

The multiple began offering the vaccine to customers last November. A month later, it told C+D it planned to expand the service, after the scheme received an “incredibly popular response”.

Pharmacists at 52 Boots branches initially provided the service to around 500 children who were not eligible to receive the vaccination on the NHS.

Original plans scrapped

Boots planned to roll out the service – which allows children aged two years and older to receive the two required doses of the Bexsero vaccine for a total of £190 – to a further 300 branches in spring 2016.

But it was forced to scrap the plans in January, after stocks of the meningococcal B vaccine were affected by a global shortage.

However. Boots revealed yesterday (June 21) that it will receive a limited quantity of the vaccine this week, and will “begin a process of reinstating delivery of its popular service” over the coming weeks. 

“The first batch of stock will enable Boots to start vaccinating customers who registered their details as early as June 28. A follow up batch is expected to become available in the next few weeks,” it added.

The service was shortlisted as a finalist in this year's C+D awards.

"Unprecedented demend"

Jamie Kerruish, category director at Boots UK, said: “Due to the unprecedented demand for the service, we have been working hard with our supplier of the vaccine.

"We are delighted to have extended the service to an additional 300-plus stores, which will enable 94.4% of the UK to access the vaccine within a 30 minute drive time.” 

The government introduced a meningitis B vaccination as part of its childhood immunisation programme in September 2015, targeting children at two, four and 12 months of age.