Meningitis B latest: Cases rise again as 8,000 vaccines given out after students queue for third day – UK Times

More than 8,000 meningitis B vaccines have been handed out since the outbreak in Kent while the number of cases is up to 34 from 29.

Hundreds of students and other eligible people queued to receive vaccines and antibiotics on Saturday, and more are expected to be waiting outside the clinics when they reopen on Sunday morning.

NHS Kent and Medway, which is in charge of the rollout, said it moved staff to focus on sites with the longest wait times during the week.

A spokesperson said: “Our teams have been working overtime this weekend and into the evenings during the week to deliver antibiotic and vaccine clinics as fast as possible.”

According to the trust, 8,002 vaccines had been administered and 12,157 antibiotics handed out in Kent by 5.55pm on Saturday.

Health secretary Wes Streeting has paid tribute to the “Herculean efforts” of healthcare teams battling to contain the meningitis outbreak.

Writing in the Sunday Mirror a week after the outbreak began, he expressed his condolences to the family of two students who died and said his thoughts remain with all those in hospital battling the “terrible disease”.

He added: “It has been an incredibly difficult week for those affected and for those working on the response to this outbreak.

“As we look ahead to another challenging week, I wanted to pay tribute to the Herculean efforts of everyone who has worked tirelessly to care for those affected and keep people safe. To the UKHSA and other public health officials working to contain the outbreak.

“To the NHS team who stood up a vaccination programme within one day of it being announced and distributed thousands of doses of antibiotics, and to those caring for young patients in hospital.

“To the school, college and university staff keeping students and parents informed, helping young people through this, and keeping their education going.

“And to the thousands of students, pupils, and other members of the public who have so readily and responsibly come forward for antibiotics and vaccination.

“I am incredibly grateful to you all. Thank you. We urge people in Kent and across the country to keep following the advice, living your lives and looking after one another.”

• The number of meningitis cases in Kent rose to 34 on Saturday, including 23 confirmed cases and 11 still under investigation, up from a previous total of 29
• Two students have died in the outbreak, including 18-year-old Juliette Kenny and another student from the University of Kent
• Hundreds of students and other eligible individuals queued for a third consecutive day at the University of Kent campus clinic for meningitis vaccinations
• As of Saturday lunchtime, health authorities had administered more than 11,000 doses of antibiotic and more than 7,000 vaccines to help control the outbreak
• Public health officials are urging vigilance for symptoms and reassuring the public that the risk to the wider population remains low, despite warnings of potential small, sporadic clusters appearing elsewhere

The number of cases linked to the meningitis outbreak in Kent increased to 34 on Saturday, as hundreds of students queued for a third day to get vaccinated.

Some 23 cases have been confirmed alongside a further 11 cases that “remain under investigation”, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Eighteen of the 23 confirmed cases are meningitis B and all required hospitalisation.

Meanwhile more than 7,000 vaccines had been administered by Saturday afternoon as health officials worked to contain the outbreak.

Experts are said to be considering expanding the eligibility for the routine meningitis B vaccine following a call for Wes Streeting.

The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) reportedly launched a review following the outbreak in Kent and are thinking about a wider review of eligibility for menB vaccinations, The Guardian reported.

The JCVI has previously said a catch-up campaign for young people who were born before 2015, when the jab was introduced for babies, would not be cost effective.

‘The Only Way is Essex’ star’s case is not connected to the outbreak of meningitis in Kent, where cases have now risen to 34.

The Independent’s health reporter Rebecca Whittaker reports:

Scientists say the meningitis strain is not a new variant and may not have mutated into an “invasive strain”.

Professor Brendan Wren, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said: “The initial sequence data confirms that it is a single menB strain causing the current cluster of meningitis cases.

“The MenB ST-41/44 clonal complex has been previously identified in the UK and is not a new variant. This suggests that the strain has not mutated into a more invasive strain, but scrutiny of the full genome sequences and further studies will be required to confirm this.

“The current Bexsero MenB vaccine based on the cell surface antigens of MenB strains should provide protection against the MenB ST-41/44 variant.”

Some key symptoms of meningitis and sepsis, according to the NHS, include:

• High temperature
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Muscle and joint pain
• Pale, mottled or blotchy skin
• Spots or a rash
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Sensitivity to bright lights
• Being very sleepy or difficult to wake
• Fits (seizures)