A free meningococcal vaccination program for teenagers aged 15 to 19 will be rolled out across Western Australia after a "disturbing increase" in cases of the W strain, Health Minister John Day says.

"The W strain increased to 14 cases last year from only four in 2015 and four in about the three years prior to that," Mr Day said.

"Experience in the United Kingdom and elsewhere suggests that, without effective intervention now, W infection rates will escalate."

Three West Australians died from meningococcal last year, two from the W strain and one from the Y strain.

"The W strain does tend to be more virulent," Mr Day said.

"All strains of meningococcal disease are potentially very serious but the W strain in particular really does take hold quite quickly."

The free vaccination for high-risk carriers aged 15 to 19 will protect against strains A, C, W and Y.

"Teenagers in this age group are not only among the most susceptible, they are the biggest carriers of the meningococcal bacteria in the community," Mr Day said.

"So targeting that age group is considered to have the most effect in reducing the incidents of the disease more widely across the community in other age groups as well."

The three-year program will start during term two in April and cost the State Government $6 million in its first year.

Year 10, 11 and 12 students will receive the single dose vaccine at school and 18 and 19-year-olds can visit community health clinics.

A vaccine against the C strain of the disease is free, but Australians have not been routinely vaccinated for the W strain before.

An ACWY vaccination program was rolled out in Kalgoorlie in December, after five cases of the W strain were recorded in the area over a two-month period.

Symptoms of meningococcal include headaches, fever, vomiting, muscle pain and in the later stages, a distinctive rash.

Welcome news to victims families

Barry Young, who foundered the Amanda Young Foundation with his wife Lorraine in 1998 to raise awareness of the disease following the death of their daughter from meningococcal, welcomed the announcement.

"It's great the Government has got on the front foot," he said.

"We've been campaigning for years to get on top of meningococcal and if there's a vaccine available, why not use it?"

Mr Young said the rollout of the vaccine was vitally important for the fight against the disease.

"Meningococcal is just a horrible disease and it causes all sorts of serious problems," he said.

"If you can nip in the bud and have a vaccine, it's just wonderful news."