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Dr Bharat Pankhania, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Public Health Medicine at the University of Exeter Medical School, said:
How will this vaccine help protect students?
“The roll out of the Group B vaccine is an additional layer of protection against a Group B Meningococcal strain.
“The protection is not immediate, however the immediate element is covered by the giving of the antibiotics and subsequently, if there is a persistent presence of the Group B strain in the contacts social group, the vaccine takes care of this exposure. Immunity develops in about two weeks.
Will vaccination reduce potential spread of this outbreak?
“It is an additional intervention to eliminate the presence of this Meningococcal Group B strain in this group of people, thus it has benefits, however, immunisation of other populations is not indicated at this stage.
How effective is this vaccine?
“The term Group B Meningococcal Strain covers a broad group of Meningococcal Group B strains.
“For the more frequently encountered Group B strain, the Group B vaccine shows a 70% to 90% reduction in cases of Meningococcal disease.
“For the more invasive Group B strain, the Group B vaccine is also very good, providing in the range 50% to 70% reduction in cases of Meningococcal disease.
“One other benefit is that it also provides cross protection against the Gonococcus bacteria as both Meningococcal and Gonococcal bacteria have similarities.
Does this announcement change our understanding of the outbreak at all?
“No, not at all. Once we knew of the circulating strain, the normal procedure is to also deploy suitable and appropriate vaccines and this is thus standard practice.
Any other aspects that you think it’s important for journalists to be aware of?
“Giving prophylactic antibiotics is given for two purposes:
“However on the point two above as the prophylactic dose of the antibiotic is not a treatment dose it is important to also convey to the close contacts that whilst the single dose of the antibiotic is usually effective, it is very important to remain vigilant for any signs and symptoms of disease. I use the term if you are feeling unusually unwell with an unusual for you headache, dislike of lights, stiff neck, aching limbs , vomiting and fever, seek urgent medical help citing “I am a close contact of a case of Meningococcal infection” even if you have been given a prophylactic dose of the antibiotic.”
Dr Lilith Whittles, Assistant Professor MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis School of Public Health, Imperial College London, said:
“News of the recent outbreak of meningococcal disease among young adults in Kent is saddening and concerning, particularly in light of the two reported deaths. Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. Most of the time the bacteria lives harmlessly in the nose and throat, carried by between 3-25% of people, particularly adolescents and young children. In rare cases the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause meningitis or septicaemia.
“The bacteria spread through close contact, via respiratory droplets and saliva, particularly in settings with intense social mixing such as shared accommodation or crowded indoor venues. Because transmission is linked to close contact, rather than brief interactions, public health teams can work to identify and contain outbreaks through rapid identification of contacts and preventative treatment. UKHSA have confirmed that some of the cases in the current outbreak are caused by meningococcal group B (MenB), one of several strains of this bacterium.
“There is a safe and effective vaccine against MenB (4CMenB). Real-world studies show the vaccine reduces the risk of invasive MenB disease by around 70–85% against vaccine-preventable strains. While the exact strain of MenB involved in the current outbreak has not yet been reported, evidence shows that 4CMenB offers substantial cross-protection against many subtypes of the bacteria (even strains outside of group B). In England, 4CMenB has been routinely offered to infants since 2015. As a result, most current university students are unlikely to have received it. Many will have had the MenACWY vaccine, which is offered in years 9 and 10; however, unfortunately that vaccine does not protect against group B disease.
“Targeted vaccination with 4CMenB is being offered as part of the outbreak response to help reduce further cases. However, vaccine protection is not immediate: it typically takes around one to two weeks for immune responses to develop. In the meantime, offering preventative antibiotics to those who may have been exposed remains essential. Anyone advised to take antibiotics or receive vaccination should do so promptly. More broadly, everyone should make themselves aware of the symptoms of meningitis and seek medical help if they become unwell.”
*comment corrected on the 19th March 2026*
Prof Andrew Lee, Professor of Public Health, University of Sheffield, said:
“Meningitis is a serious disease as an infected person can deteriorate very quickly. That said, thankfully, it is not easily transmissible – it is certainly not as infective as say flu or COVID-19, and requires often fairly prolonged close contact before transmission takes place. So you are unlikely to catch it from brief contact such as on a bus, or brushing by someone in a corridor, for example.
“Between 10-24 per cent of the population unknowingly carry this germ at the back of their throats usually without any harm. It is still not known why some go on to develop disease. It is transmitted by respiratory droplets, and the persons at closest risk are usually people you live with or “kissing contacts”.
“We used to get a lot more cases of meningitis and deaths from it, primarily the A and C strains. In 1999/2000 for example there were ~2600 cases due to meningococcal disease. But thanks to our routine childhood immunisations programme against the disease there are far fewer deaths due to meningitis now. In 2024/25 there were less than 400 cases.”
With regards to the current situation he added: “Most people are at negligible risk, especially if they have had no contact with the case.
“The public health authorities will be urgently investigating, doing contact tracing to identify those at highest risk (i.e. the close contacts) who may be at risk of acquiring the infection or of passing it on.
“These are the individuals who need antibiotics. The antibiotics don’t make them immune but clears the carriage of the germs at the back of their throats so that they are less likely to pass it on.
“In other words, the antibiotics given are to help stop spread of the diseases. The public health teams will also be wanting to sift out true cases from suspected cases, work out which ones are linked and which aren’t linked to the current cluster (indeed some may be random sporadic cases) and to identify high risk groups and settings where intervention may be needed. This involves painstaking investigations that take time – there are no instant answers.
“Ad hoc immunisations now are a secondary measure, because it takes time for the immunity to build up after vaccination, and also because we need to know the strain of the germ causing the outbreak to see if there is a vaccine that matches against it.
“Usually this is reserved for those at high risk again. For everyone else, the best course of prevention is the routine immunisation programme for kids – so if children are not up to date with their immunisations, this is a timely reminder of the importance of ensuring they get all the jabs indicated to protect them.
“The risk of transmission and further cases is usually highest in the first week after contact with a case and the probability rapidly decreases afterwards. Clusters and outbreaks in the UK of this disease are exceedingly rare thankfully.”
Prof Johnjoe McFadden, Emeretus Professor at the University of Surrey, said:
“Meningitis B is the most common strain of the infection in the UK.
“The identification of the Kent strain as MenB raises the possibility of vaccination to provide protection against group B meningococcal strains. The vaccine, given in two, at least four weeks apart, offers up to three years of protection from the infection.
“However, as the Men B vaccine doesn’t reduce the spread of the infection in healthy individuals (who are the main source of disease), it is not generally given at the population level except to infants, who are more likely to get severe disease if infected.
“It should be remembered that introduction of meningococcal disease vaccines overall has reduced rates of severe disease and death from meningitis in the UK by about 85 – 90% since they were introduced.”
(on the transmission of meningitis through vaping) Prof Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, The Norwich School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, said:
“Smoking is a known risk factor invasive meningococcal disease; however, I can find no evidence that vapes have been linked to invasive meningococcal disease before. Sharing things you put in your mouth like sharing a bottle of beer with a friend is a known risk for transmission, so it is completely logical that sharing vapes could be a risk factor for transmission.”
(on the transmission of meningitis through vaping) Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said:
“Meningitis B spreads through contact with saliva and respiratory secretions, so anything that puts you in close oral contact with someone else carries a degree of risk. Sharing a vape is no different from sharing a drink or a cigarette in that sense — you are exchanging the kind of mouth secretions that this bacterium travels in.
“Young people tend to share vapes casually and frequently, which makes it a practical concern worth taking seriously. The simple advice is not to share them. Anyone who develops a sudden severe headache, stiff neck, or a rash should seek urgent medical attention.”
Dr Eliza Gil, Clinical Lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) said:
“It’s unlikely that these students will have protective immunity to meningitis B. The meningitis B vaccination has been recommended and offered to babies in the UK from 2015. This means that it is the strain that many current students will not have been vaccinated against.
“The MenB vaccine is given specifically to babies as they are the group at highest risk of death or serious illness, so this has been a deliberate decision to protect the most vulnerable. But unfortunately, this does mean that many current students won’t have immunity to meningitis B themselves.
“Currently students aren’t offered MenB vaccination as part of a routine schedule because their risk has typically been low in comparison to young children and babies and also because the protection the vaccine offers is imperfect and is thought to only last a few years. However, this is something that affected patients and their families, alongside charities and bodies such as the National Union of Students, have openly campaigned for. In addition some individuals are already obtaining the vaccine privately.”
“The tricky thing with vaccines is that we learn a lot about the long term protection they offer by using them in the population. The MenB vaccine is relatively new, and has mostly been used in babies and very vulnerable individuals, so we don’t have as much information about how useful it is in young adults.”
“Some families choose to access vaccination privately as it is commercially available on the high street from chemists. This creates a situation where currently we have unequal access based on ability to pay.”
“Meningitis is now very rare in the era of vaccination but there are still cases every year. These often occur in adolescents and young adults because this is a bacteria that is carried in the throat and is spread through close contact. This is a phase of life when people are exposed to a lot of different people in very close proximity, both through their studies and the way they live in halls of residence, and often through social activities like this potential club exposure. But I think we can be reassured that the absolute risk is still low to people who have not had very close contact with anyone in the affected community.”
“We have no concrete evidence at this stage that the sharing of vapes is implicated in this outbreak but it is something that I would always advise against. Vaping hasn’t been around long but we know that sharing cutlery, for example, has previously been identified as a risk factor for the spread of bacteria that lives in the mouth, so anything we can do to avoid this would always be a sensible step.”
Prof Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, said:
“The first question on vaccination is whether this B strain is covered by the vaccine as this isn’t always the case – this takes time for the UKHSA to work out in the laboratory and they are working round the clock on this. If it does match then B vaccines are great but it takes time for the immune response to kick in after the jab and so the absolute priority today is to ensure that those who have been exposed get antibiotics to stop them developing the disease or spreading the B germs to others.”
Prof Adam Finn, Professor Emeritus of Paediatrics, University of Bristol, said:
“Whether the Bexsero or Trumenba vaccines also known as “MenB vaccines”) should be being used in this setting or more generally will depend upon characterisation of the strain causing the outbreak as not all strains of MenB are covered by these vaccines and they can also protect against some strains that are not MenB but other serogroups. Calling them MenB vaccines is therefore a bit of a misnomer- but we call them that because they are the only vaccines that protect against most MenB strains.
“It’s also important to recognise that
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush, Assistant Professor in Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:
“The meningitis outbreak is a profound reminder of the dangers of infectious diseases, particularly when young adults will be required to mix in educational settings and will often be in close contact. It is essential to ensure that children and young people receive all NHS recommended vaccinations to protect them from those diseases that are vaccine-preventable.
“Infants have been recommended meningitis B vaccination since 2015, which means that students currently at university would not be covered but should call 111 or speak to their GP surgery if concerned. The school-age vaccination programme protects adolescents against other common meningitis ACWY strains, because there is a risk of incidence peaking in 15 to 19 year-olds. Adolescents are also offered the tetanus, diphtheria and polio (Td/IPV), and HPV vaccinations.
“However, uptake varies across the country and just 66.5% of adolescents in Year 9 received the meningitis ACWY vaccine in the northwest of England in 2024/25. Uptake by local authority level showed enormous variation, with uptake among adolescents in Year 9 just 9.7% in Bolton and as high as 90.9% in West Berkshire.
“School Age Immunisation Services are commissioned to provide these vaccinations to adolescents, and schools play a vital role in ensuring that vaccines reach every adolescent who is eligible for vaccination. We also know that there are schools which do not allow access to immunisation teams, and that puts young people at risk of disease and death. The outbreaks should also prompt leaders of educational settings and commissioned providers to ensure that every adolescent is offered the vaccines they are recommended to receive.”
Prof Emma Wall, Clinical Research Group Leader at the Crick, and Clinical Professor of Infectious Diseases based at the Blizard Institute, QMUL, said:
Is this expected that it is a MenB strain responsible?
“Yes, for two reasons. First, outbreaks in teenagers/students/young adults used to be caused by Men C, which led to deployment of the conjugate ACWY vaccine in the year 9 programme. Coverage in young adults of the strains Men A/C/W/Y through the existing vaccine is now high, and outbreaks of Men C have been virtually eliminated. This made MenB (not covered by the ACWY vaccine) the most likely strain causing the outbreak.
Does knowing it is a MenB strain change the situation or approach?
“Not in the short term, this doesn’t make a difference to the antibiotics or other strategies for outbreak control. But it is important, as it means one of the options for UKHSA may be to offer MenB vaccine across the university campus to reduce the risk of a further outbreak, or shut down transmission (so-called ring vaccination).
They have not announced any further detail about the strain, do we know all MenB strains are protected against with the current MenB vaccine?
“This vaccine covers the most common MenB strains that cause severe disease, and provides cross-protection against other meningococcal strains ACWY, and may even provide partial protection to a related bacteria that causes gonorrhoea.
Would vaccination in this specific outbreak be a useful response to reduce spread or would protection from the vaccine take too long?
“Vaccination can be a very useful tool to reduce onward transmission of this bacteria and reduce the risk of a secondary outbreak in students or related communities. Protection from the vaccine is rapid.
What do we know about the MenB vaccine in terms of length of immunity, reduced carriage and effectiveness?
“The MenB vaccine is highly effective by generating antibodies against the invasive strains. Ongoing studies are looking at the durability of antibodies that are induced by the vaccine.
How are vaccine schedules decided in the UK?
“The Joint Committee of Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) regularly review all evidence for vaccines available in the UK and provide advice to the DoH, who publish current vaccine schedules in a publication called ’the green book’. They take into account a wide range of evidence, including cost-efficacy and lived-experience from families. This means that vaccine schedules are regularly updated or amended based on new evidence, including new vaccines.”
Comments sent out Monday 16th March
Prof Brian Greenwood, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:
“Meningitis is inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Several bacteria and viruses can cause meningitis. It has not yet been mentioned on the news what the cause was in the current outbreak but this is likely to have been caused by Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus). The cause of outbreaks is not always clear but it may result from close contact by a group of people, for example students or military, with a healthy person who is carrying the bacterium in their pharynx but unaware of this.
“Prior to the introduction of effective vaccines meningitis outbreaks were relatively common and serious in the UK but now much less frequent. Major meningitis outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis involving thousands of people have occurred in LMIC especially in the Saharan and sub-Saharan region of Africa – the African meningitis belt. Several of the bacteria that can cause meningitis, like the meningococcus, also colonise the pharynx causing little or no symptoms but rarely they get into the blood and spread to other parts of the body, including the meninges; this is sometimes called an invasive infection.
“Meningitis outbreaks can be very dangerous affecting many people unless effective control measures, drugs and vaccination, are put in place very quickly. However, I am sure control measures are already being put in place to control this outbreak.
“The main bacterial causes of meningitis are the meningococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae the (pneumococcus) and Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) with their being several different strains of each of these bacteria and vaccines need to be able to protect against each strain. Vaccination in infancy against the pneumococcus and Hib is routine in the UK and vaccination of one strain of meningococcus (group B) is also routine in infancy with vaccination against other groups of meningococci given later in childhood. The vaccines against each of the main bacterial causes of meningitis are very effective.
“If an outbreak becomes very severe then it is sometimes recommended that social activities are contained for example in outbreaks involving students. In response to outbreaks, health officials may provide antibiotics to people who have been in close contact with cases and may check on the vaccination status of these people. They may also consider a vaccination programme for those most at risk for examples students living together in one residential hall, especially if vaccination coverage is low.”
Dr Eliza Gil, Clinical Lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) said:
“Bacterial meningitis is in general more serious than viral meningitis, making sufferers more unwell, causing more damage to the brain and is more frequently fatal.
“Meningitis has typically been uncommon in the UK and now that we have vaccines against most of the important meningitis-causing bacteria, we usually see only a small number of cases of bacterial meningitis in the UK per year. Outbreaks are rare and typically occur when a meningitis-causing bacteria is introduced into a community without immunity and where there is lots of close contact.
“This outbreak is most likely to be caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis, also often referred to as meningococcus, which causes meningococcal meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis is known to cause outbreaks of meningitis, including in students, and can cause very aggressive infections.
“Specific types of Neisseria meningitidis cause the majority of cases or meningitis and sepsis and are therefore the types included in the vaccines offered in the UK. Most cases of Neisseria meningitidis meningitis, as well as the other most common types of bacterial meningitis, can therefore be prevented by vaccination.
“Within the species of Neisseria meningitidis there are different ‘types’, each with a unique outer coating. Each type requires its own immune response to protect against invasive infection. The type causing this outbreak has not yet been identified. Work will be underway using both laboratory tests and genome sequencing to identify the type of Neisseria meningitidis causing this outbreak.
“There are two highly effective Neisseria meningitidis vaccines available, one to types A,C, W and Y, routinely offered to students in secondary school, and another to type B, now routinely offered for babies in the UK. Outside of vaccination, another preventive approach is to give people who have been in contact with someone with meningitis antibiotics to kill any potentially meningitis-causing bacteria in their throat. Because close contact is required to acquire the bacteria, antibiotics are usually offered specifically to people identified as being at risk of having acquired the bacteria rather than the wider community.
“Young people should check if they have received the ACWY vaccine– they remain eligible for the vaccine if they have not yet had it up to the age of 25.”
(on vaccines used for meningitis) Dr David Elliman, Honorary Associate Professor in Child Health at UCL GOSH Institute of Child Health, said:
“The vaccination programmes against meningococcal disease have been very successful with large reductions in disease and death. The commonest strain now causing disease is that due to the B strain (MenB) with children below a year and young people 15-24 years old at greatest risk.
“Part of the benefit of many vaccines is to stop people carrying the germ and passing it on to others. The vaccines against the A, C, W and Y strains do this very well, which is, in part, why the disease they cause is now very uncommon. This is not true for the MenB vaccine, which has to be made in a different way. It has little, if any, benefit in terms of reducing this carriage. The MenB germ varies and not all variants are prevented by the vaccine. In addition, the protection from the vaccine appears not to last as long as that from the Men ACWY vaccines. All these factors mean that, although the vaccine has been very useful, the benefits from the MenB vaccine are perhaps less than those from the Men ACWY vaccines, overall.
“I am sure the situation is kept under review, but before introducing the vaccine more widely, one would have to consider whether it would have sufficient benefit to outweigh the resources needed – it is an expensive vaccine. The money may be best spent on finding an alternative vaccine.”
Prof Mark Fielder, Professor of Medical Microbiology, Kingston University, said:
“Meningitis is an infection that affects the meninges, the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. It is a serious disease that needs to be treated quickly. It primarily affects babies, young children and young adults, but having said that, it can cause infection in anyone.
“The disease has the capability of leading to permanent nerve or brain damage, as well as potentially leading to a life-threatening sepsis infection, all of which highlights the need for rapid and effective treatment. Symptoms often include a variety of features such as stiff neck, photophobia (dislike of bright light), a rash that does not disappear when a clear glass is pressed upon it, fever, confusion, rapid respiratory rate, cold extremities (hands and feet), vomiting, difficulty to wake, and seizures. This is not an exhaustive list, so vigilance is needed, if any of these symptoms are seen, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
“Meningitis is often caused by either bacterial or viral pathogens. Viral meningitis is more commonly seen and tends to be much less serious in nature. Whereas, bacterial meningitis is much more rare but is very serious if rapid and effective treatment is not put in place. The bacteria that cause meningitis vary, one is Neisseria meningitidis, of which there are several types (A,B, C, W, X, Yand Z), there is Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci). These infections can be spread via kissing (close contact), sneezing and coughing as the organisms are carried in the nose and throat of those who are not apparently ill themselves.
When the patients are suffering severe disease, this can be as a result of bloodstream infections (sepsis) or infections of the cerebrospinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord. If a patient develops these two conditions at the same time, the resulting infection is often known as invasive meningitis.
“As there are a number of causes of meningitis, vaccines offer a good potential for protection against the infections. There is the MenB vaccine, the 6-in-1 vaccine, the Pneumococcal vaccine, the MMRV vaccine and the MenACWY vaccine. These vaccines can be administered to patients of differing ages and cover a range of the viral and bacterial organisms that can cause meningitis.
“Treatments for patients with invasive meningitis would include intravenous antibiotics, supportive fluid for hydration, steroid medication in some cases and oxygen, should it be needed.
“Overall, the risk of the disease spreading is relatively low, as close contact is needed for effective spread. One of the things to do for those potentially in contact is to provide a course of antibiotics. In Kent this is already being undertaken with antibiotics being given to known or potential contacts of those who have the infection. In the longer term, ensuring effective vaccine coverage is important to maintain protection against the disease.
“Work will currently be underway to exactly identify the organism and strain type responsible for the infections to ensure the best treatment and protection can be provided to target the organism. This work will be carried out at pace to determine the genome sequence and also the specific serotype of the pathogen.”
Prof Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, The Norwich School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, said:
“Meningitis is an infection of the lining of the brain (the meninges). There are several different bacterial and viral and one fungal causes that are associated with meningitis. However, from what has been reported in the media the current outbreak appears to be due to meningococcal disease.
“Invasive meningococcal disease is a very serious infection that causes meningitis and septicaemia. In the year 2025/24 there were 378 confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease. The term invasive means an infection that spreads through the body to normally sterile sites such as the blood stream (septicaemia) or brain. Of these 378 cases 31 (8.2%) died (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-laboratory-confirmed-cases-in-england-2024-to-2025/invasive-meningococcal-disease-in-england-annual-laboratory-confirmed-reports-for-epidemiological-year-2024-to-2025). In people who survive about 10 to 20% will suffer a long term disability such as deafness, loss of limbs or brain damage (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6249177).
“The greatest risk of meningococcal infections are in children under 1 years old (5-10/100,000 children). In other age groups the risk is about 1-2 per 100,000 people/year. There is, however and increased risk in young people aged 15 to 19 year old. This increased risk is often associated with the person moving away from home especially when living in crowded conditions.
“About 10% of people carry the bacteria at any one time and this is even higher in adolescents (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3373034/). The infection is spread between people during close contact such as living in the same household or whilst kissing (mouth to mouth).
“There are several different types (groups) of meningococcus. About 80% of invasive infections are now due to group B meningococcus. The other groups such as group C has become much less common in recent years due to vaccination. Group A is more associated with infections in Africa in the so called “meningitis belt”
“There are currently 2 main vaccines used in the UK. The 4CMenB vaccine is given at 8, 12 and 52 weeks of age. This is primarily against group B meningococci, though there is some protection against some other groups (https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/73/7/e1661/5897488). However, not all Group B strains are coved by the 4CMenB vaccine. The other vaccine is the MenACWY which is given at around 14 years of age. In the UK we do not currently give a booster group B vaccine to adolescents, though some countries do (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6422514/). The reason not to offer a group B vaccine is based on cost benefit studies. This vaccine does not stop transmission whereas the MenACWY vaccine does reduce transmission of the groups included.
“When there are cases of invasive meningococcal disease and especially when there are multiple related cases public health teams follow UKHSA guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-guidance-on-public-health-management). After a single case antibiotics may be offered to close contacts. Close contact is defined as prolonged close contact with the case in a household type setting during the 7 days before onset of illness. Antibiotics may also be offered to someone who “had transient close contact with a case only if they have been directly exposed to large particle droplets or secretions from the respiratory tract of a case around the time of admission to hospital”.
“When we see multiple linked cases of invasive disease, antibiotic are given to a wider circle of contacts. If the infecting bacteria is a group other than B we would usually offer MenACWY to the same people offered antibiotics. If as is most usual the infection was a group B meningococcus, vaccination with a group B vaccine may be offered unless the data suggests that the infection would not be covered by the vaccine.
“The most important thing any friend or parent can do is realise the person may have this infection and seek medical help. Early treatment is vital, but diagnosis in the early hours of the illness can be very difficult. Early symptoms can be very mild but then deterioration can be extremely rapid leading to death within a few hours. Some of the warning signs include high fever, neck pain and stiffness, the light hurts their eyes, confusion and drowsiness and a particular skin rash that doesn’t blanch if a glass is pressed onto the skin (https://www.meningitis.org/about-meningitis/bacterial-meningitis/meningococcal-meningitis/#symptoms). If worried contact NHS 111 for further advice (https://111.nhs.uk/) or seek immediate medical attention.”
Dr Zina Alfahl, School of Medicine, University of Galway and Applied Microbiology International One Health Advisory Group Member, said:
What is meningitis and how rare/common are outbreaks like this? What does ‘invasive’ mean?
“Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses or bacteria, but the most dangerous outbreaks are usually caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. When doctors say “invasive meningococcal disease”, they mean the bacteria have entered normally sterile parts of the body, like the bloodstream or the fluid around the brain. That can lead to meningitis or a severe blood infection called meningococcal sepsis. Overall the disease is rare in the UK, but when several linked cases appear in the same place — for example a university community — it becomes a serious public-health concern because the illness can progress very quickly.
How dangerous is a meningitis outbreak – what is the risk to those in the Kent area/ the UK?
“Meningococcal disease is dangerous because it can become life-threatening within hours if it isn’t treated quickly. However, it’s important to put risk in perspective. For the general public in Kent or across the UK, the overall risk remains very low. The people at highest risk are usually close contacts of cases — people living together, close friends, or those sharing social spaces with prolonged contact. So while this is a serious cluster that requires urgent investigation and control measures, it does not mean there is a widespread risk to the whole population.
Are students and young people at particularly high risk?
“Yes, teenagers and young adults are a recognised higher-risk group for meningococcal disease. That’s partly because many people in this age group carry the bacteria in the nose or throat without symptoms, and it spreads through close contact such as coughing, kissing, or sharing drinks. University environments — halls of residence, parties, and large social networks — create conditions where the bacteria can spread more easily. That’s why vaccination programmes and rapid public-health responses often focus on students and young adults when clusters occur.
What causes outbreaks of this nature?
“Outbreaks usually happen when a particular meningococcal strain enters a community where people are mixing closely and some individuals are susceptible. The bacteria are often carried harmlessly in the throat, especially among teenagers and young adults. Transmission occurs through respiratory droplets and close contact. So outbreaks are usually driven by a combination of factors: the characteristics of the strain itself, the level of immunity in the population, and environmental factors like crowded living or social settings where people mix intensively.
Can you vaccinate against meningitis and could vaccination rates be a possible factor in the outbreak?
“Yes, but it’s important to understand there isn’t just one meningitis vaccine. Different vaccines protect against different meningococcal groups, such as A, C, W, Y, and B. In the UK, adolescents are routinely offered the MenACWY vaccine, and infants receive the MenB vaccine. Whether vaccination rates played a role in this outbreak will depend on which strain is involved, which hasn’t yet been confirmed. Until that information is available, it would be premature to attribute the outbreak to vaccine uptake.
How effective are meningitis vaccines and how high is uptake?
“The meningococcal vaccines used in the UK are highly effective, particularly the MenACWY vaccine given to teenagers. Uptake in adolescents is generally good — around 70–75% in recent school cohorts — although it hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic levels. Infant uptake of the MenB vaccine is even higher, typically above 85–90%. However, many current university students were born before the infant MenB programme began in 2015, which means some of them may never have been routinely offered that vaccine.
It’s reported that the current strain isn’t known yet – how will that be found and why is that information useful?
“The strain will be identified through laboratory testing of patient samples — usually blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Specialist reference laboratories can determine the serogroup of the bacteria and sequence its genome. That information is extremely useful because it tells public-health teams whether the cases are linked, which strain is circulating, and whether targeted vaccination or other interventions might help stop further spread.
What can people do to protect themselves from meningitis?
“The most important thing is recognising symptoms early and seeking medical help quickly. Early symptoms can look like flu — fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pain — but they can progress rapidly to severe illness. People should seek urgent medical advice if symptoms worsen or if there are warning signs such as neck stiffness, confusion, sensitivity to light, or a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed. It’s also important for students and young people to check they are up to date with recommended meningococcal vaccinations.
What will health authorities be doing to prevent further spread and/or deaths in an outbreak like this?
“Public-health teams will move very quickly in situations like this. They will identify and monitor close contacts of cases, provide preventive antibiotics where appropriate, and carry out detailed laboratory testing. They may also consider targeted vaccination depending on the strain involved. At the same time, they will work with the university and local healthcare providers to ensure people know the symptoms and know when to seek medical care.
Any other comments on the situation that you think it would be useful for journalists to know for their reporting.
“One important point is to keep the risk in proportion. Meningococcal disease is serious and can progress rapidly, but it is still rare overall, and outbreaks are usually limited to specific networks or communities. It’s also important not to jump to conclusions about vaccines until the strain is confirmed. Different meningococcal groups are covered by different vaccines. Clear reporting should focus on symptom awareness, rapid treatment, and the targeted public-health response that is already underway.”
Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor of Cellular Microbiology, University of Reading, said:
“Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord, and it can be caused by a range of organisms, most commonly bacteria and viruses. Bacterial meningitis, including meningococcal disease, is the more serious form, but it remains uncommon, and with rapid treatment most people recover fully. The bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis are often carried harmlessly in the nose and throat; around 10% of the general population carry them without ever becoming ill. In adolescents and young adults, carriage can be higher, with large UK studies showing rates between 7% and 18%.
“Transmission requires close, prolonged contact such as coughing, sneezing or kissing, and even among carriers only a very small proportion ever develop invasive disease. Symptoms can appear suddenly and may resemble flu at first, but severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, confusion, or a rash that doesn’t fade under pressure are important warning signs. With prompt medical care, outcomes are generally good and long‑term complications are far less common than they once were.
“Vaccination remains the best protection. The MenACWY and MenB vaccines used in the UK are safe, well‑tested, and available free to eligible UK and international students.”
Prof Andrew Preston, Professor of Microbial Pathogenicity at University of Bath, said:
“Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, the protective tissue layers around the brain and CNS. There can be several causes, including viral and bacterial infection. It is an extremely dangerous condition.
“UKHSA have reported the outbreak is likely to be meningococcal, so Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. These bacteria inhabit the nasopharynx and in the vast majority of cases colonise that niche without causing any issues. In a very small number of cases, the bacteria can gain access to the blood, where the pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis can survive and multiply. This is sepsis, another devastating disease. From there, bacteria can cross the blood brain barrier to access the CNS, leading to meningitis. The term invasive denotes this moving from the nasopharynx to the blood and/or CNS.
“NM type b was the most dangerous of the NM types, but disease can also be cased by other types (ACWY)
“Meningitis outbreaks used to be regular, although small clusters of cases, particularly among University students in halls at the start of the academic year. The bacteria are transmitted by respiratory droplets, between people in close contact.
“In the UK, vaccination against type b is administered to babies, as of July last year at 8 and 12 weeks with a 1 year booster. As many of the cases among adolescents tended to be due to the other types, an ACWY vaccination is given to years 9 or 10 (13-14 years old).
“The vaccines are highly effective at protecting against invasive disease. Unusually, they also reduce carriage as they generate immune responses that reach the nasopharynx, and cases decreased very significantly on implementation of the ACWY vaccine.
“Uptake of the ACWY vaccine among adolescents is around 73%, so there are a lot of unvaccinated students given the size of the student cohort.
“So, an outbreak of this size and speed is very unusual, and of great concern.
“It is important to characterise the cause of the outbreak. A sudden change in disease pattern could indicate something like a new strain with different behaviours. It will be important to ascertain the vaccination status of those affected.
“Fortunately, antibiotic resistance isn’t (yet) a major feature of these bacteria, so prophylactic antibiotics can be given to close contacts of cases, as is being done in Kent. There will also be an opportunity for those who did not receive their adolescent vaccine the chance to have a catch up jab, but the immunity from that will take a little while to develop.”
Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, University of Southampton, said:
“There is a high level of ‘carriage’ of the bug that typically cause meningitis outbreaks, with maybe 20% of the population harmlessly carrying the bacteria in their nose or throat. If individuals encounter a strain that they do not have sufficient immunity against, then infection is possible. Carriage rates are usually highest in teenagers and younger adults, hence why new populations mixing at university can cause outbreaks. And as we have seen, the disease can be severe and occasionally fatal. Vaccination has been the key tool to reduce the numbers of meningitis cases and deaths.”
Prof Keith Neal, Retired Professor of the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, University of Nottingham, said:
“I dealt with many university cases and a few community outbreaks in the past when meningitis was more common. This current outbreak is unusual.
“‘Invasive’ means the germ has invaded into the blood stream or brain linings from the throat.
“Risk to those in the Kent area is low although this is a community outbreak so there is a small risk; I suspect in the older teenage and student groups. Under 5s are most at risk to becoming seriously unwell with meningitis but teenagers and students are at a higher risk due to social mixing.
“There are two vaccines, MenB which is part of the childhood schedule and ACYW135 which is given to teenagers and there is quite good uptake of these vaccines in the UK.
“Determining the strain will help tell us what vaccine might be useful; a PCR test will be able to do this.
“There may a slightly different strain of meningitis which can spread between people. Most people who acquire the bacteria develop immunity and a very low percentage get ill. We may not be able to pinpoint the exact origin or this outbreak.
“People should look out for the early symptoms and health authorities will be making those at higher risk of infection aware of what they are, provide antibiotics to close contacts and may vaccinate where appropriate.
Declared interests
Dr Bharat Pankhania: None
Dr Lilith Whittles: “ I have received consultancy fees from Pacific Life Re to appear on a webinar panel on long-term trajectories for COVID-19. I previously (>12 years ago) worked as a consultant actuary at Punter Southall Transaction Services (on pensions though so not at all related). I have published papers on the potential impact of 4CMenB vaccination against gonorrhoea, however these were not funded by industry in any way (all funded by scientific bodies including MRC / NIHR). Some co-authors on those papers (i.e. not myself) have been working with GSK recently, who manufacture Bexsero / 4CMenB. Personally, I have never received any funding, consultancy or other payment from a pharmaceutical company.”
Prof Andrew Lee: “No declaration of interest”
Dr Simon Clarke: “no conflicts to declare.”
Prof Andrew Pollard: “Former chair of JCVI”
Prof Adam Finn: “AF undertakes paid consultancy for several vaccine manufacturers including GSK who make Bexsero. Until recently he was leading research funded by Pfizer who make Trumenba. However, none of this activity relates to meningococcal vaccines.”
Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush: “No COI”
Prof Emma Wall: “I have no CoI to declare.”
Prof Brian Greenwood: “I don’t have any conflict of interest”
Dr Eliza Gil: “No COI”
Dr David Elliman: “I have no conflicts of interest.”
Prof Mark Fielder: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare”
Prof Paul Hunter: “No conflicts of interest.”
Dr Zina Alfahl: “I don’t have any declarations of interest”
Prof Andrew Preston: I have received funding for research from vaccine companies, although not related to meningococcus or meningococcal vaccines.
Dr Michael Head: “No COI to declare”
Prof Keith Neal: “No COI”
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.