Over 100 students faced disappointment after being turned away from meningitis vaccination centres amid a deadly outbreak in Kent. In response, health authorities are rapidly opening additional clinics across the county to meet soaring demand.
The University of Kent temporarily closed its vaccine clinic on the Canterbury campus yesterday afternoon due to capacity constraints, despite a government-led campaign to accelerate immunisations.
Vaccination Clinics Reopen and Expand Across Kent
The university’s clinic resumes operations today from 9am to 5pm, urging attendees to arrive by 2pm to secure their place. Additional vaccination sites include Faversham Health Centre and the Vicarage Lane Clinic in Ashford.
For convenience, the Gate Clinic at Kent and Canterbury Hospital remains open throughout the weekend for walk-in patients seeking the meningitis jab.
To date, health services in Kent have administered over 8,500 courses of antibiotics and 1,600 vaccines to those eligible.
Who Qualifies for the Meningitis Vaccine?
Health Secretary Wes Streeting outlined eligibility criteria: anyone who attended Club Chemistry between March 5 and March 15, sixth-form students at four specified schools, university students in Canterbury, and close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases are all entitled to receive the vaccine.
Additionally, individuals in England eligible for antibiotics can request vaccination through their local GP surgeries.
Current Status of the Outbreak
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 15 meningitis cases, with 12 more under investigation. Of the confirmed cases, nine are attributed to the meningococcal B strain (menB).
Tragically, two students have lost their lives during the outbreak, including 18-year-old Juliette Kenny. Juliette passed away last Saturday, just one day after first exhibiting symptoms.
Her father, Michael Kenny, described her sudden decline: “She had been vomiting and showed discolouration in her cheeks. She was fit, healthy, and strong. The illness took her from us so quickly.”
“The devastation of her loss to us, her family, and friends is immeasurable,” he added. “Sharing memories of her empathy, warmth, and joy helps us cope. Her energy continues to inspire those who loved her.”
Calls for Routine MenB Vaccination Intensify
Juliette was a Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. Her family, alongside the Meningitis Research Foundation, is urging urgent government action to make the menB vaccine routinely available.
Vinny Smith, CEO of the foundation, revealed that a 2015 recommendation to include the menB jab on the NHS for all at-risk age groups was dismissed as not cost-effective. Currently, the vaccine is provided on the NHS only to babies, leaving most young people born before 2015 unprotected unless vaccinated privately.
Smith emphasized the vaccine’s importance, citing menB’s potential to cause lifelong disabilities and appealing to the government to act decisively to save lives.
In response, the Health Secretary has tasked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) with reviewing meningitis vaccine eligibility criteria urgently.
Next Steps for the Outbreak
Health officials will provide a detailed update on the meningitis outbreak during a scheduled media briefing in Kent later today.
