Health authorities are set to address inquiries following over 100 students in Kent being turned away while attempting to receive a meningitis vaccine on Thursday. Tomorrow, health officials will participate in a press briefing in the county to provide updates on the escalating outbreak.
The University of Kent announced the closure of the vaccine line at its Canterbury campus on Thursday citing capacity constraints as the reason, as they needed to conclude the clinic by 5 pm. An estimated over 100 individuals waiting for the vaccine were denied access, as per Press Association calculations.
The university stated that the vaccination clinic will resume operations on Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, advising individuals to join the queue by 2 pm. Additional vaccination sites are also slated to open across Kent as part of the government’s expanding immunization initiative.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting disclosed that individuals who visited Club Chemistry from March 5 to March 15 would be eligible for the vaccine, along with sixth-form students at four schools and other university attendees in Canterbury. Faversham Health Centre will commence administering vaccines at 9 am on Friday and will remain open through Saturday, with more clinics scheduled to open at Vicarage Lane Clinic in Ashford and the University of Kent on Friday, according to NHS England.
The UK Health Security Agency reported 15 confirmed cases of meningitis as of 5 pm on Wednesday, with an additional 12 cases under investigation. This brings the total number of confirmed or suspected meningitis cases to 27, an increase from 20 on Wednesday, with two fatalities among students in the outbreak.
Of the 15 confirmed cases, nine have been attributed to menB. The UKHSA announced that all eligible patients can now request both vaccination and antibiotics from their local GP promptly, regardless of their location in England, including students who have returned home.
Over 8,500 antibiotics and 1,600 vaccines have been administered to eligible individuals in Kent in response to the meningitis crisis.