Number of confirmed cases of meningitis rises to 34 as vaccine rollout continues in Kent

The number of cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent has risen to 34, health officials have confirmed on Saturday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that as of 5pm on 20 March, 23 laboratory cases are confirmed and 11 notifications remain under investigation, bringing the total to 34.

That's a rise on the number confirmed on Friday morning.

Two students have died in the outbreak, and the UKHSA said no further deaths have been reported.

The latest figures come as a Kent public health leader said it cannot yet be confirmed that the outbreak has been contained.

Dr Ben Rush, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at UKHSA said: "We continue to remain vigilant for new cases and work closely with NHS England and local authorities across the country to ensure enhanced surveillance is in place. Any new cases will be identified quickly and responded to.

"It’s reassuring to have seen so many eligible young people come forward for antibiotics and vaccination and we’d like to thank everyone involved in this effort so far.

"It’s vital that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops symptoms.

"The risk to the wider population remains low and UKHSA continues to work with partners to identify contacts and offer necessary treatment."

Thousands of doses have been handed out to those who attended Club Chemistry in Canterbury, alongside students living in halls at the Canterbury campus of the University of Kent.

Around 5,000 students have also been invited for a menB vaccine.

Trish Mannes, UKHSA Regional Deputy Director for the South East, said: “Two doses of the menB vaccine helps protect individuals against meningococcal B disease.

“It is important to know that the menB vaccine does not protect against all strains of meningococcal disease, nor against all infections that can cause meningitis. It also does not prevent the bacteria from being carried and spread in the community.

“It is therefore still hugely important that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease, and that they seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops these signs and symptoms.

“If you have been offered preventative antibiotics, it is strongly recommended that you take them promptly.

“If you are a student at the University of Kent who is eligible but has since returned home, contact your local GP, who will be able to provide advice and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

“The risk to the wider population remains low. UKHSA continues to actively trace and offer preventative antibiotics to those in close contact with cases.”

The UKHSA said four schools in Kent have confirmed cases of meningitis alongside a case of one student at a higher education institution in London who is linked to the Kent outbreak.

But one of the schools that previously had a suspected meningitis case has confirmed their student has tested negative.

Duncan Beer, Headteacher of Highworth Grammar School in Ashford, said in a statement: "We have received information from the UK Health Security Agency that the test was negative for meningitis for our Highworth student.

"The family has confirmed this with us and the student is doing well. Therefore, we have been advised that there is no need for anyone to receive any antibiotics or vaccinations in connection to this person nor the school."

"However, there may be some people who meet the other criteria of eligibility for antibiotics or vaccinations and we have directed our school community to that information."

Kent County Council’s director of public health Dr Anjan Ghosh said it could not be said the outbreak has been contained.

“We’re not in the position yet to say that definitively, that it’s been contained,” he said.

“If you see the daily reporting that’s going on, there are more and more cases being reported, but these cases all relate more or less to that same period of time when the initial exposure happened.

“We are looking at what’s called secondary transmission, so that’s a case that’s then transmitted to another couple of people. We need to rule that out before we can say it’s definitely contained.”

He added: “The main advice is there’s no reason to be anxious.

“This is a disease. It’s not Covid. It doesn’t spread the same way that Covid or measles spread. It spreads through close, protracted contact, intimate contact. It’s basically people in households, sharing cups, kissing, intimate contact, those kind of things.

“There’s no need to panic or get anxious. People just need to go about their ordinary lives the way they have been.

“However, if people have signs of meningitis, then they need to act fast.”

To date, 600 meningitis B vaccines have been administered at the University of Kent Canterbury campus after hundreds of students joined a queue outside the campus sports centre.

Those who have received the jab will need to return for their second dose after a minimum of four weeks while 6,500 antibiotics have also been given out as a precaution, the university said.

The UKHSA issued an alert for the NHS across England on Wednesday on signs and symptoms of meningitis to look out for, though this does not signal the outbreak is going to spread nationwide.

The alert said the illness being seen in the Kent outbreak “has been severe with rapid deterioration” and urges clinical staff to take infection control measures in the period before patients are put on antibiotics, such as face masks and other personal protective equipment.

It urges doctors to have a “high index of suspicion where a young person aged 16 to 30 attends with consistent signs or symptoms” of the bug.

Canterbury Christ Church University, also in Kent, confirmed a meningitis case among its students on Wednesday, meaning confirmed or suspected cases have been reported at two universities and five schools.

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