UK says vaccine protects against strain in deadly meningitis outbreak

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) – Britain’s health authorities said on Friday that early laboratory analysis had shown the vaccine being offered to students should protect against the strain of meningitis behind an outbreak in southeast England that has killed two people.

The UK Health Security Agency said the strain belonged to a group of meningococci known as ST-41/44, which had been circulating in the country in recent years.

The confirmation that the Bexsero vaccine covers the strain had given “important reassurance,” the agency said, while further analysis would continue.

UKHSA said 2,360 people had now received vaccinations and about 9,840 courses of antibiotics had been administered as part of the response. As of Thursday evening, 18 cases had been confirmed and 11 others were under investigation.

In a briefing reported by the PA news agency, Kent County Council’s director of public health, Anjan Ghosh, said there may be “some sporadic household cases outside of Kent”.

Ghosh added that “too early to say” whether a national vaccination programme should be recommended by the Joint Council of Vaccination and Immunisation.

Health minister Wes Streeting said on X the government had “done everything we can and should to contain this outbreak.”

Authorities expanded vaccination clinics on Thursday after health officials warned they were not yet able to say the outbreak had been contained. Britain typically sees around one case of invasive meningitis per day, according to government estimates.

The outbreak has driven high demand for the MenB vaccine nationally, with pharmacy chain Boots reporting earlier this week that supplies across Britain were limited.

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Editing by Paul Sandle)