Wes Streeting has cautioned against returning to “Victorian conditions” through “anti-science” stances amid an outbreak of meningitis B in Kent.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced a targeted vaccination programme for students living at Canterbury halls of residence at the University of Kent, while 700 doses of antibiotics have been given out following the death of two young people.
Speaking on Tuesday (17 March), the health secretary said that he hopes that the outbreak will encourage the public to take up vaccinations where they are available.
However, he said that “misinformation, anti-science, irresponsible political positioning” could see the UK return to its former “dark days”, prior to the expansion of NHS vaccination programmes.
