NHS to offer second MenB vaccine after deadly Kent outbreak

NHS to Offer Second MenB Vaccine After Kent Outbreak

The National Health Service (NHS) has announced that nearly 12,000 individuals who received meningitis B vaccinations following a recent outbreak will soon be eligible for a second dose. This follows the confirmation of two fatalities and 19 additional cases of the disease. The initial vaccine campaign targeted people exposed to the infection, including university students and schoolchildren in the region.

Expanded Eligibility and Vaccination Timeline

Vaccination centers in Canterbury, Faversham, and Ashford will begin administering the second dose next week. NHS Kent and Medway officials emphasized that appointments will be accessible through multiple locations, with detailed booking instructions to be released starting Monday. Two doses are necessary to achieve full immunity, with the second dose required at least four weeks after the first.

“The outbreak is unprecedented due to the rapid spread among a large number of people,” said Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Among those affected were a 21-year-old university student and sixth form pupil Juliette Kenny, both of whom succumbed to the infection. Over 19 others required inpatient care. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated a national incident response to streamline the distribution of critical resources, such as antibiotics, during the crisis.

The targeted program initially focused on residents of university halls in Kent before expanding to attendees of the nightclub Club Chemistry, where the outbreak is believed to have started. Later, other groups, including sixth form students at institutions with confirmed or suspected cases, were also included. Preventative antibiotics were distributed to a broader population, with long lines forming at the University of Kent over several days.

Since 2015, the UK has implemented a routine MenB vaccination schedule for infants and young children. At that time, health advisers determined a widespread catch-up campaign for teenagers was not cost-effective. Teenagers are now routinely offered the MenACWY vaccine, which guards against four meningitis-causing bacteria but excludes MenB. The recent outbreak has prompted Streeting to request a reassessment of this decision from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).