- Pharmacies are experiencing a significant surge in private meningitis vaccine bookings, with Superdrug reporting a 65-fold increase, following the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirming meningitis B cases in a Kent outbreak.
- The Kent outbreak involves 15 reported meningitis cases, with four confirmed as meningitis B, leading to two young people's deaths and others hospitalised.
- Health experts have raised concerns about 'unequal access' to protection due to the cost of private vaccination, as the MenB jab is not routinely offered on the NHS to those born before 2015.
- A small vaccination programme is being launched for students at the University of Kent's Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence, while experts stress that antibiotics for exposed individuals are an immediate priority as vaccine immunity takes time to develop.
- The National Pharmacy Association has reported that many pharmacies are facing supply issues, unable to make new orders for meningitis vaccinations from wholesalers, amidst calls for wider NHS provision for teenagers and young adults.
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