People don't need to buy a meningitis vaccine, Streeting says

"It is not a surprise to me people seeing the headlines and thinking 'I will go out and buy myself a vaccination' but just to be clear that is not necessary. He said some pharmacies had run out of vaccines but said there was not a concern about supply for the children and young people covered by the national vaccination programme or the current roll out of jabs in Kent."

"Babies are routinely offered a vaccine against MenB, and have been since 2015, but the UK's current generation of older teenagers and university students have not, since the shot was not available when they were born. The UK decided against running a widespread catch-up campaign to vaccinate teenagers, but some parents have been buying the jab privately."

"About 5,000 students living in university halls in Kent are being offered the MenB jab from Wednesday afternoon to provide longer-term protection if the strain behind the current outbreak continues to circulate. Separately, Streeting said 2,500 doses of antibiotics had been distributed through sites in Canterbury and Broadstairs, which he said were effective in 90% of cases."

An unprecedented meningitis outbreak in Kent has prompted concerns about vaccination, but health officials confirm the risk to the general public remains low. Five additional cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 20 confirmed and suspected cases linked to a nightclub, with two deaths reported. The UK's current generation of older teenagers and university students lack routine MenB vaccination coverage since the vaccine was unavailable when they were born. A targeted vaccination programme is being established for approximately 5,000 students in University of Kent halls of residence, with 2,500 antibiotic doses distributed through Canterbury and Broadstairs sites. Health officials advise against private vaccine purchases while ensuring adequate supply for national programmes.

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