22/03/2026
Meningitis outbreak
Message from David Munday, Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health
Please encourage anyone who has a baby or young child that missed their MenB vaccine to contact their GP to ask about catch-up vaccination.
Many people will have been concerned to see the recent news of an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent affecting university and A-level students. Meningococcal disease can cause bacterial meningitis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord) and bacterial sepsis (severe infection which spreads throughout the body and can cause organ failure). Many people carry this bacteria harmlessly in the back of the throat but occasionally it can cause disease and in this case the infections appear to have been caused by the Meningococcal Group B bacteria (MenB). As of March 18th, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating 20 cases Meningitis in Canterbury since March 13th, including two deaths.
This tragic situation is also very unusual. Outbreaks and deaths caused by meningococcal bacteria were significantly reduced by the 2015 introduction of the MenACWY vaccine in school Years 9 and 10, and the MenB vaccine as part of the infant immunisation schedule. If anyone has missed a vaccination that they were eligible for at the time it was offered, then they should contact their GP for catch-up vaccination (the MenACWY vaccine can be given up to the age of 25). The MenB vaccine is currently only routinely given to children under 2 years of age. Information on routine NHS vaccination timings are available online.
Meningococcal disease does not spread easily, and outbreaks of this size are thankfully rare. There is no reason to think that young people in Buckinghamshire are at increased risk of meningococcal disease as a result of this current situation. I encourage all our staff and residents to take up the offer of any routine vaccinations for which they are eligible
