Meningitis B outbreak: what you need to know

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of the immunisation and vaccine preventable diseases division at the UKHSA, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the outbreak of meningitis had been "unusual" but she did not believe there was a current risk to anyone outside of the Kent region.

"I think it's important to stress that the cases have all been linked to a particular geographical area, in the Kent area. We have no evidence of any wider spread. So it's really important to reassure people across the country that there's no evidence of wider spread at the current time but it's important, in terms of vaccination, to make sure that your children are fully up to date with the vaccines that are available, and to be alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: "The public health risk for the wider population remains low but we are actively contact tracing and offering antibiotic prophylaxis to those in close contact with cases.”

 

Who decides vaccine recommendations?

  • All vaccine recommendations in the UK are monitored and decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
  • The JCVI reviews all cases of vaccine preventable disease, national data, and emerging risks.
  • Currently, there are no plans to offer the MenB vaccine outside of the routine infant schedule.

Guidance for myasthenia patients:

Those on immunosuppressive therapy should take standard precautions at all times to reduce risk of infections (hand washing, avoid people with infections, wearing mask in crowded places or avoiding them etc) regardless of the meningitis outbreak. 
Those on complement inhibitor treatments such as Zilucoplan, Eculizumab, ravulizumab or on clinical trials using complement inhibitors need to discuss with their neurologists to ensure that the vaccination schedule is up to date. 
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