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• Vaccination will now be extended to everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment as part of this outbreak.
• Preventative antibiotics – and vaccination – will also now be offered to the 6th form students (years 12 and 13) in schools and colleges in Kent where confirmed or probable cases areÌýidentified.
• On a case-by-case basis, future risk assessment may also support use in other year groups or settings.
• Students can, and should, continue to attend schools and colleges as normal.Ìý
• The NHS Kent and Medway website will be updated shortly with vaccination sites for those eligible.
• The key intervention to protect people and halt the spreadÌýremainsÌýfor people to come forward for antibiotic treatment.ÌýA single course of antibiotics is highly effective in preventing the contraction and spread of this disease in 90% of cases.
• As a further precautionary measure, we are extending the offer of antibiotic prophylaxis and vaccine to any individuals who attended Club Chemistry from theÌý5 March until it closed voluntarily on 15 March.
• 20,000 vaccines fromÌýtheÌýNHS supplyÌýwill be made available toÌýthe private market, to ease current demand experienced byÌýpharmacies. These will enter the private market within aroundÌý48 hours.

In response to the ongoing Meningitis B (MenB) outbreak in Kent, the UK Health Security AgencyÌý(UKHSA)ÌýisÌýexpanding theÌýoffer of preventative antibiotic treatment and vaccinationÌýto control the outbreak.Ìý

Preventative antibiotic treatment and vaccination will now be offered to 6th sixth form students (years 12 and 13) in schools and colleges in Kent with confirmed or probable cases. On a case-by-case basis, following risk assessment by the local health protection team, antibiotics and vaccination may also be made available to additional year groups. Students can, and should, continue to attend schools and colleges as normal.

In addition to the approximately 5,000 students who were initially contacted, vaccination will now be extended to everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment as part of this outbreak. This includes University of Kent students who live on the Canterbury Campus and other relevant halls of residence; close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases, and students in four education settings in Kent where cases have been confirmed. Anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5ÌýandÌý15ÌýMarch will also be offered a vaccine and antibiotics as a precaution after one suspected case revisited the nightclub before it shut voluntarily.

This extension ensures that those most likely to have been in close contact with confirmed or suspected cases are offeredÌýlongerÌýtermÌýprotection as early as possible.

The NHS Kent and Medway website will be updated shortly with vaccination sites for those eligible.

Patients eligible for antibiotics will now be able to request a vaccination and antibiotics from their local GP immediately – wherever they are in England.

While preventative antibiotics remain the key intervention to protect people and halt the spread of infection, vaccination is being offered as an additional measure to provide longer term protection for those at increased risk.

Given current demand on the private MenB vaccine market, 20,000 doses will also be released from NHS supply to support continuity of private provision, enabling up to 2,000 pharmacies to receive vaccines in the next 48 hours.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said:Ìý

By extending the vaccinationÌýprogrammeÌýto everyone who has been offered preventative antibiotics, we are taking an importantÌýadditionalÌýstep to protect those most likely to have been exposed.ÌýThe message is simple: if you have had the antibiotic, you are also eligible for the vaccination.

People are reminded to remain alert to the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and to seek urgent medical attention if they or someone they know becomes unwell.

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Meningococcal disease (meningitis andÌýsepsis) is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. Very occasionally, the meningococcal bacteria can cause seriousÌýillness, (inflammation of the lining of the brain) andÌýsepsisÌý(blood poisoning), which can rapidly lead to sepsis.Ìý

The onset of illness is oftenÌýsuddenÌýand early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital.Ìý

Early symptoms, which may not always be present, include:Ìý

• a rash thatÌýdoesn’tÌýfade when pressed with a glass
• sudden onset of high fever
• severe and worsening headache
• stiff neck
• vomiting andÌýdiarrhoea
• joint and muscle pain
• dislike of bright lights
• very cold hands and feet
• seizures
• confusion/delirium
• extreme sleepiness/difficulty waking

Young people going on to university or college for the first time are particularly at risk of meningitis because they newly mix with so many other students, some of whom are unknowingly carrying the bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.Ìý

There areÌýnumerousÌýstrains of the meningococcal infection.

There are numerous strains of the meningococcal infection. The MenACWY vaccination gives good protection against MenA, MenC, MenW, and MenY and is routinely offered to teenagers in school Years 9 and 10. However, this vaccine does not protect against all forms of meningococcal infection. Other strains such as MenB can circulate in young adults, which is why it’s important to know how to  a²Ô»å  as early detection and treatment can save lives. 

Further information on meningococcal diseaseÌý

• Ìý
  Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pmÌý
  UK: 080 8800 3344Ìý
  Republic of Ireland: 1800 41 33 44
• Ìý
  0808 80 10 388Ìý
  (9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 1pm Friday)