Neisseria meningitidis is the main cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis in 
the UK, and can potentially be lethal or cause long-term sequelae. Bexsero® 
(4CMenB) is a new multi-component vaccine approved by the European Commission 
for use in individuals aged ⩾2 months. A theoretical transmission model was 
constructed to assess the long-term effectiveness of Bexsero compared to 
standard care. The model was populated with UK-specific demographic data and 
calibrated to ensure that the transmission dynamics of meningococcal disease in 
the UK were adequately simulated. The model showed the best strategy to be a 
routine vaccination programme at ages 2, 3, 4, 12 months and 14 years combined 
with a 5-year catch-up programme in toddlers aged 12-24 months and adolescents 
aged 15-18 years. This would lead to a 94% reduction in meningococcal cases or 
150 000 cases and 15 000 deaths over a 100-year time-frame.