Meningitis Outbreak: Cases Rise in UK, Vaccination Campaign Underway
The number of confirmed and suspected cases in a meningitis outbreak affecting young people in southeast England has risen to 34, up from 29 the previous day, with 23 cases now confirmed, health authorities announced Saturday. Eleven cases remain under investigation.
The increase follows a surge in cases linked to the bacterial infection meningococcal group B. More than 400 people queued Saturday morning at the University of Kent campus to receive vaccinations as part of a targeted campaign launched by health officials. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a total of 5,764 vaccines have been administered and 11,010 doses of antibiotics distributed in Kent, the region at the center of the outbreak.
The treatment is being offered to students at the University of Kent, individuals who attended Club Chemistry in Canterbury between March 5th and 7th – identified as a probable source of the outbreak – and close contacts of those infected or suspected of being infected. Eighteen-year-old Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old University of Kent student have died after contracting the infection, according to reports.
The outbreak is described as “unprecedented” by UK Health Minister Wes Streeting. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday urged anyone who visited Club Chemistry to come forward for antibiotics.
Anjan Ghosh, Director of Public Health for Kent, warned Friday that “small, sporadic clusters” could emerge in other parts of the UK if students who have left Kent are in the incubation period for the virus. He indicated, however, that these clusters would likely be “containable,” and the risk of transmission between individuals remains low.
A single case has been reported in France, with the French Ministry of Health confirming Wednesday that an individual who had attended the University of Kent is currently hospitalized in stable condition. The UK began vaccinating infants against Meningococcal B in 2015, leaving older generations unprotected.