‘Targeted’ vaccination programme announced amid Kent meningitis outbreak

The Government will begin a targeted vaccination programme ‘in the coming days’ for Kent university students in response to an ongoing meningitis outbreak. 

Health secretary Wes Streeting today announced the measure following the outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease in Canterbury and East Kent, which has seen two people die. 

The strain has today been confirmed by the UK Health Security Agency as Meningitis B, meaning most university-aged people would not have had a vaccine.

Mr Streeting also said he would ask the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to ‘re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines’ more widely following this outbreak. 

Vaccines are available to prevent some types of meningitis, including against Meningococcal group B (MenB) for babies, and the MenACWY vaccine for protection against MenA, MenC, MenW, and MenY offered to teenagers in school Years 9 and 10.

The vaccine for MenB – which the UKHSA says can circulate in young adults – was only introduced for babies at two months, three months and 12 months in 2015.

In a statement today, the health secretary said: ‘Given the severity of the situation, I can confirm to the House that we will begin a targeted vaccination programme for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which will begin in the coming days.

‘UKHSA will provide further advice on other cohorts in the coming days. On the question of wider eligibility, we obviously follow the expert independent advice of the JCVI.

‘In light of this latest outbreak, I will be asking them to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. I will do so without prejudicing their decision because we have to follow the clinical advice on this.’

He advised university students who were not on-site – for example, those who had returned home early for the end the semester – to contact their local GP to request antibiotics. 

‘We’re also making sure that for students who’ve gone home and who may wish to access antibiotics because of risk factors or concern about symptoms, that they’re able to contact their GPs and receive support locally’, he said. 

Four laboratory cases are confirmed and a further 11 notifications remain under investigation, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). 

In a separate update, the UKHSA said the vaccination programme will begin at the university’s Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence, but that it ‘may be expanded further as UKHSA continues to assess any ongoing risk to other populations’. 

Four on-campus antibiotic treatment sites are currently open at the University of Kent with 11,000 doses available.