How to get second dose of meningitis B vaccine

3 hours ago

Craig BuchanSouth East

News image — Students received the first dose of the Meningitis B vaccinations at the University of Kent in March

PA Media A nurse in blue scrubs sat at a table with a young man, who is rolling up his sleeve. Both are wearing clinical face masks. — Students received the first dose of the Meningitis B vaccinations at the University of Kent in March

Almost 12,000 people who received vaccinations against a meningitis variant following a deadly outbreak in March are being invited to receive their second dose.

Two people died and another 19 were confirmed to have the disease during the outbreak, thought to have originated at a Canterbury nightclub.

Health officials responded by rolling out antibiotics and a vaccine against the meningitis B (MenB) strain, with the second dose becoming available from 13 April.

Where to get second dose

According to health officials in Kent, eligible people can book their second dose of the vaccine through an online system from Monday.

Appointment slots would be available at multiple clinics and other sites in Canterbury, Faversham and Ashford, they said.

Details of how to book would be made available on the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System's webpage for the meningitis outbreak.

A second dose must be given at least four weeks after the first, according to the NHS, but can be given later.

Who is eligible?

The UK Health Security Agency brought in a targeted vaccination programme as part of its response to the outbreak.

Vaccination began with students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent's Canterbury campus and was then expanded to anybody that was offered preventative antibiotics.

Several people in jackets and blue facemasks, queuing along the side of a brick building. — Young people queued up to receive antibiotics and their first dose of the vaccine during the March outbreak

In addition to the original students, those eligible for the vaccine include:

Some staff who live or work in the student accommodation
Close contacts of people confirmed or suspected to have had the disease
Students at other Canterbury universities or living in other locations where there has been a case
Anyone who visited or worked at Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5 and 15 March
Sixth form and year 11 pupils at schools or colleges with a suspected case

What if you haven't had first dose?

First doses of the vaccine for eligible people can be booked until 16 April.

Appointments are available between 09:00 and 16:00 GMT up until then, at University Medical Practice in Canterbury, and can be booked by phone until 16:30 on Wednesday.

More than 11,700 vaccinations have been administered so far, according to the NHS.

What happened during outbreak?

A 21-year-old university student, whose name was not made public, and sixth form pupil Juliette Kenny both died after contracting the infection in March.

Many others required hospital treatment.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the outbreak at the time as "unprecedented" due to the number of people who became infected in a short timeframe.

Why were people not vaccinated against MenB already?

The MenB vaccine is part of the UK NHS childhood immunisation programme for babies born on or after 1 July 2015, meaning anyone older than 11 have not had the jab.

UK vaccine experts concluded it was not cost effective to offer the MenB vaccine to adolescents and the NHS does not offer a catch-up programme.

Streeting has said he has asked the government's vaccination advisers to consider whether that should now change.

A separate vaccine against A, C, W and Y strains is offered to 14-year-olds and is available free to anyone who missed out, until their 25th birthday.

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