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Vaccine product guide

BEXSERO

Meningococcal group B (4CMenB) · Meningococcal (Men-C, ACYW, Men-B)

Health Canada DIN 02417030. Check the product and formulation on your record before using a schedule.

Plan doses for this product →
DIN
02417030
Family
Meningococcal
Guidance checked
2026-09-27
← All Meningococcal (Men-C, ACYW, Men-B) products

About this vaccine

This vaccine helps protect against meningococcal group B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis (infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord) and sepsis (blood poisoning).

BEXSERO is listed under Health Canada DIN 02417030. The product record and monograph below describe this formulation; the dose schedule comes from the Canadian Immunization Guide.

At a glance

Brand
BEXSERO
DIN
02417030
Vaccine
Meningococcal group B (4CMenB)
Presentation
0.5 mL · suspension · intramuscular · 2 months and older
Live vaccine
No

Age and suitability depend on the product, the person and the reason for vaccination. Use the planner for a starting point and confirm with a healthcare professional.

Official sources

Use the DIN to confirm this exact product in Health Canada's Drug Product Database.

Health CanadaMonograph PDF

A listed product may not be stocked or publicly funded.

Before and after your vaccination

  • Bring your immunization record if you have one, so earlier doses can be checked.
  • Tell the healthcare professional about a serious reaction to a previous vaccine or an ingredient, and mention any health conditions or medicines that could affect your vaccination.
  • After the dose, stay where you can be observed for at least 15 minutes. Tell someone right away if you feel faint or develop symptoms of an allergic reaction.
  • Keep a record of the vaccine name, date and dose you received.

These steps come from the Canadian Immunization Guide's administration practices and acute reactions guidance.

Practical guidance for BEXSERO

The details below are adapted from a Pharmasist patient handout linked to the same product monograph. The current Canadian Immunization Guide determines the dose schedules shown later.

What this vaccine helps prevent

  • This vaccine helps protect against meningococcal group B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis (infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord) and sepsis (blood poisoning).
  • It is given to people from 2 months through 25 years of age.

What to mention before a dose

  • Tell the healthcare professional if you or your child are allergic to any ingredient in this vaccine.
  • Tell them if you or your child are allergic to latex, since the syringe tip cap may contain natural rubber latex.
  • Tell them if you or your child are allergic to the antibiotic kanamycin.
  • Tell them if you or your child have a bleeding problem, such as hemophilia, or take blood-thinning medicine.
  • Tell them if you or your child have a condition that affects the immune system, or take medicine that affects it, such as eculizumab.

How it is given

  • A healthcare professional will inject this vaccine into a muscle in the arm or leg.
  • This vaccine must not be mixed with any other vaccine or medicine in the same syringe.
  • If any other vaccines are given on the same day, they will be given at a different injection site.

Important things to know

  • As with any vaccine, this vaccine may not fully protect everyone who receives it, and it does not protect against every strain of meningococcal group B bacteria.
  • Fainting can happen as a reaction to any needle injection. Tell the healthcare professional if this has happened before.
  • If you or your child have a severe infection with a high fever, vaccination will usually be postponed until you feel better. A mild cold is not usually a reason to wait.
  • Babies born very prematurely may have pauses in breathing in the days after vaccination and may need to be watched closely.

Effects you may notice

  • Pain, redness, swelling, or a hard area of skin where the needle went in
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sleepiness
  • Feeling irritable or fussy
  • Unusual crying
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Sore or painful joints
  • In older children and adults: pain at the injection site, sore muscles or joints, feeling sick to your stomach, feeling generally unwell, and headache

When to contact a healthcare professional

  • A high fever, especially in a baby or young child
  • Fever lasting more than five days along with a rash, red eyes, or swollen glands in the neck, which could be signs of a rare condition called Kawasaki disease
  • Swelling that spreads over a large part of the arm or leg where the shot was given, or a lump that does not go away
  • Blistering at the injection site

When to get emergency help

  • Swelling of the lips, mouth, or throat, or trouble breathing or swallowing
  • A rash that spreads quickly, especially with dizziness or passing out
  • A seizure (fit)
  • Your baby or child suddenly becomes very floppy, unresponsive, or unusually pale or bluish

Other medicines and vaccines

  • Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you or your child take, including vitamins, minerals, and natural health products.
  • This vaccine can be given at the same time as most routine childhood vaccines, but at a different injection site.
  • This is an injected vaccine, so food and mealtimes do not affect how it works.

Key points to remember

  • Mild fever and soreness after the shot are common and usually go away within a couple of days; a fever-reducing medicine can help.
  • Tell the healthcare professional right away if you notice anything concerning after vaccination.

The practical points are adapted from the Pharmasist reference for BEXSERO and its matching product monograph.

Dose schedules

These are Canadian Immunization Guide schedules associated with this DIN. The right schedule depends on age, health, prior doses and reason for vaccination. Public health recommendations may differ from a product monograph's authorized schedule.

Meningococcal B (BEXSERO) — infants starting at 2 to 5 months

3 doses

Two doses 8 weeks apart plus a booster at 12 to 23 months of age.

For infants starting at 2 to 5 months of age when recommended (high-risk conditions, outbreak control or provincial programs): two (or three) primary doses at least 8 weeks apart, then a booster in the second year of life (12 to 23 months of age).

Meningococcal B (BEXSERO) — infants starting at 6 to 11 months

3 doses

Two doses at least 8 weeks apart plus a booster at 12 to 23 months of age.

For infants starting at 6 to 11 months of age: two doses at least 8 weeks apart, then a booster in the second year of life (12 to 23 months of age).

Meningococcal B (BEXSERO) — 12 months to 10 years, two doses

2 doses

Two doses at least 8 weeks apart.

For children 12 months to 10 years of age at increased risk (asplenia, complement deficiency, outbreak) or by individual decision: two doses at least 8 weeks apart.

Meningococcal B (BEXSERO) — 11 years and older, two doses

2 doses

Two doses at least 4 weeks apart.

For people 11 years of age and older at increased risk (asplenia, complement deficiency, laboratory exposure, outbreak) or by individual decision: two doses at least 4 weeks apart.

Check your dose plan →

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Family guidance on pregnancy: Recommended when there is a high-risk condition, travel, an exposure or an outbreak.

Family guidance on breastfeeding: Recommended when there is a high-risk condition, travel, an exposure or an outbreak.

This guidance applies to the vaccine family. Confirm this product's details in the monograph and with your clinician. Immunization in pregnancy and breastfeeding: Canadian Immunization Guide — Chapter updated August 2026.

References and product information

General information only. A suggested date is not an appointment or a prescription; a healthcare professional confirms what you need. Clinical rules reviewed on 2026-09-27.

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