Around one million Brits are set to be offered a vaccine against a deadly disease as cases continue to soar. The jab will be available to Year 13 students, aged between 17 and 18, as well as anyone aged under 25 starting university this year. It comes amid a rise in meningitis cases across the UK, driven by a series of clusters of Meningitis B (MenB) among young adults.
In March, an outbreak in Kent, centred around a nightclub and university student population, saw 34 cases confirmed and resulted in two deaths. There have also been localised outbreaks in Weymouth and Reading. Public health experts believe the surge in cases is down to an immunity gap, with a number of older teens and young adults missing out on jabs, as well as modern social habits such as sharing vapes and drinks in crowded spaces.
Vaccination Rollout Details
Those in Year 13 will now be contacted via the NHS app, text or letter to come forward for the jab. Meanwhile, those under 25 will have to book the MenB vaccine through their local pharmacy.
Health Secretary James Murray said: "The Kent outbreak and recent clusters indicate a possible change to the way MenB affects people. While we assess the latest evidence, we are acting now to help protect young people at highest immediate risk as they enter university and residential colleges this autumn."
He added: "By offering two doses of the jabs ahead of the academic year, we will help reduce the risk of serious illness and larger outbreaks of this horrendous disease."
However, those going into their second or third years of university will not be eligible for the vaccine. International students are being encouraged to get the jab in their home nation.
Recent Outbreaks and Deaths
Two students died following the meningitis outbreak in Kent earlier this year. Juliette Kenny, an 18-year-old Year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, in Faversham, passed away on Saturday, March 14 just 12 hours after displaying symptoms of vomiting and cheek discolouration. A third-year undergraduate student from the University of Kent also passed away. Their identity was not publicly released by the university or health officials out of respect for their family's privacy.
On the rise in cases, Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "The most likely explanation is that we actually have had 25 years of declining cases of MenB disease. Now, meningococcal disease cycles go through cycles of 20 to 30 years. It goes down when you have good population immunity, and then that immunity goes down and new strains appear where the population doesn’t have immunity against these strains, and then cases start going up again."
