Scientific advisers are reviewing whether to extend routine meningitis B vaccination to more people following a fatal outbreak in Kent. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will examine the impact of offering the MenB jab to a wider population after Health Secretary Wes Streeting requested a re-evaluation of eligibility.
Health officials in Kent have reported 18 confirmed cases and 11 more under investigation, with two fatalities. Dr Anjan Ghosh, Kent's director of public health, warned that cases could spread beyond the county as students return home for Easter. He outlined three scenarios for the next month: the outbreak remaining contained in Kent, sporadic clusters elsewhere from incubating students, or a worst-case but unlikely new cluster outside Kent.
The JCVI had previously deemed a catch-up campaign for those born before 2015, when the MenB jab was introduced for infants, not cost-effective. Experts note that protection lasts only a few years and does not stop bacterial transmission. Dr Michael Head of the University of Southampton suggested adding MenB to routine Year 9 vaccinations alongside the MenACWY jab, while Professor Andy Pollard of Oxford doubted a recommendation change due to Treasury cost-effectiveness rules.
Initial genetic analysis by the UK Health Security Agency indicates the Bexsero vaccine offered in Kent should protect against the outbreak strain, which has been circulating in the UK for about five years. Over 4,500 people have been vaccinated so far, with ample stocks available. The family of 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who died on 15 March, is campaigning for routine access to the jab for teenagers and young people.
