𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Government has been urged to launch a mass vaccination campaign against meningitis B (MenB) for teenagers. The bacteria is behind an outbreak in Kent which has left two young people dead — an 18-year-old sixth former and a 21-year-old university student.

The call for the major vaccination campaign comes from the head of Meningitis Now. Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of the meningitis charity, said rolling out the MenB jabs to teenagers and young adults “could have an immediate impact and save lives now”. Routine vaccination against MenB for babies and young children was introduced in 2015, meaning those born before are not protected.

Wes Streeting has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to review evidence on immunising teenagers against MenB, Dr Nutt urged the Health Secretary not to wait.

He told The Telegraph: “Wes Streeting could simply choose to act over and above the advice of the JCVI or, indeed, the Treasury.”

The JCVI can only recommend vaccines that meet a cost-effectiveness threshold set by ministers.

A former chair of the committee said it was “unlikely” that expanding the jabs would be recommended.

The family of Juliette Kenny, the sixth form student who died from meningitis in the Kent outbreak, are campaigning for teenagers and young people to be routinely given access to the MenB vaccination.

The number of meningitis cases linked to the outbreak fell as the campaign to vaccinate thousands of young people continued into a fourth day.

Confirmed cases have dropped from 23 to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update on Sunday morning, after they were downgraded following further testing.

Meanwhile, suspected cases under investigation have also fallen from 11 to nine, meaning the total number of cases is 29, down from 34 on Saturday.

Nineteen of the 20 confirmed cases are menB, and all cases have required hospital admission.

Mr Streeting has praised the “Herculean efforts” of the workers caring for those affected and protecting people from the illness.

NHS Kent and Medway said more than 9,078 MenB vaccines had been handed out as of Saturday evening while 12,595 antibiotics had been administered.