'Sporadic' household clusters of meningitis could appear elsewhere in UK say health bosses

"Sporadic household clusters of meningitis" could appear over the next four weeks in other parts of the UK linked to the travel of people away from Kent, a health leader has confirmed.

Kent County Council’s director of public health Dr Anjan Ghosh told a briefing three scenarios were being looked at over the next four weeks, with the most likely being that students who have travelled away from Kent will “incubate” the bug and there could be “household” cases elsewhere.

However, he said these would be “containable”.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the number of cases linked to the outbreak has reached 29, up from 27 previously.

Some 18 cases have been confirmed, alongside a further 11 “probable cases” – all with links to Kent, the UKHSA said.

Dr Ghosh told the briefing that three “rough” scenarios are being modelled for the next four weeks, as “that’s the time it takes for this whole thing really subside.

"The first scenario is that the outbreak remains contained in Kent.

“Second scenario is that there are people who’ve left, they’ve gone off campus, and many of them don’t stay in Kent, they go and stay elsewhere,” Dr Ghosh said.

“They were incubating when they left, and then they become cases, and there are small household, sporadic clusters outside of Kent.”

He stressed these cases would be “containable”.

The third scenario, described by Dr Ghosh as the “worst-case scenario”, would result in another cluster outside of Kent.

However, he said this is “highly unlikely”, with the second scenario “most likely to be the case”.

Thirteen of the 18 cases confirmed by UKHSA are menB.

All cases have required hospital admission.

Ed Waller, deputy chief executive of NHS Kent and Medway, said a request was made on Friday for a further 5,000 doses of vaccine.

Mr Waller told the media briefing: “6,500 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Kent and Medway from the national stock. There was a request today for a further 5,000.”

Mr Waller told reporters that the advice to people queueing is to “just think about where they go”.

“As I said, the queue at the other site in Canterbury is shorter at the moment,” he added.

“The other two sites are operating – they’re less busy than this one. So, we will see as many of the people who are in the queue as we can today.

When asked about the closing times of the vaccine centres, he said: “We are trying to maximise the capacity and the opening hours of all the sites.

“So we are in the process of operationalising as much capacity as we can.”

It comes as four schools in Kent say they have confirmed or suspected cases of meningitis among their pupils, as Wes Streeting said sixth form students and pupils should continue to attend schools.

The headteacher at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham paid tribute on Monday to a year 13 pupil named locally as Juliette Kenny, who died at the weekend from the infection.

A student at the university of Kent has also died, and Canterbury Christ Church University has also confirmed a case of meningitis among its students.

Health Secretary Mr Streeting said students at schools who visited the Club Chemistry nightclub or who have had close contact with the infection should attend sites for antibiotics, but they are not advising school closures.

The four schools that reportedly have confirmed or suspected cases currently are Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Faversham, Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, in Canterbury, and The Canterbury Academy, in Canterbury.

Highworth Grammar School in Ashford said on Tuesday a year 13 pupil had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of meningitis.

On Friday headteacher Duncan Beer said the student had tested negative.

It had also been reported a year 13 student at Dane Court Grammar School in Broadstairs also had the infection, but the school has since said the case is not confirmed.

Kent County Council has confirmed all its mainstream schools are open as normal.

Two specialist school were closed as a precaution on Tuesday - Nore Academy, a special school (SEMH), and the co-joined alternative provision Estuary Academy Island.

The council confirmed on Wednesday these have both reopened.

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