Meningitis B, also known as MenB, is the strain of bacteria behind the outbreak of meningitis cases in young people in Kent, experts have confirmed.
The UK's current generation of older teenagers and university students have not been offered the MenB vaccine, as it was not available when they were born. However, babies are routinely offered a vaccine against MenB, and have been since 2015.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, two people have died from meningitis in Kent, while another 11 are in hospital with the infection. A small targeted vaccination programme will begin in the coming days, starting with students resident at Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence at the University of Kent.
Police and Health Response
The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has asked advisors to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. Streeting told the Commons: "On the question of wider eligibility, we obviously follow the expert independent advice."
Experts say the case for whether to vaccinate teenagers against MenB is complicated. While the vaccine is great at protecting infants, it does not work so well in young people. Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, an immunologist at Oxford University, told the BBC: "The B strain is more complicated because although we call it the B strain, it's actually a collection of a very large number of different strains, some of which are covered by the B vaccine and some aren't."
Vaccination Programme
The MenB vaccine has been developed to offer protection against as many strains as possible, but it does not work against all. Some people carry the various types of meningitis B bacteria harmlessly in their nose and throat, and the vaccine does not protect for a particularly long time.
Generally, it takes a couple of weeks to get the fullest protection from a vaccine, and some require booster doses. A small group of teens and adults are recommended to have the MenB jab on the NHS, including those with certain long-term health conditions who are at greater risk.
Public Concern and Awareness
Some parents have paid private doctors to get the vaccine for teenagers, but it is not cheap, with high street pharmacies offering a full course of two doses for around £220. The charity Meningitis Now says MenB jabs should be available "at a fair price" and has been calling for this vaccine to be offered more widely to protect teenagers and young people.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, from the Independent Pharmacies Association, said pharmacies, particularly those in Kent, have seen a surge in demand for private MenB jabs following the current outbreak. Pharmacies are running out of stock, and some have no stock left, she added.
Official Statement
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of the immunisation and vaccine preventable diseases division at the UKHSA, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that the outbreak of meningitis had been "unusual" but she did not believe there was a current risk to anyone outside of the Kent region.
