, Two people have died and 11 others are in hospital due to an outbreak of meningitis in Kent, England, southeast of London. The UK Health Services Agency (UKHSA) told the BBC on Tuesday morning that the patients had contracted a strain of group B meningitis known as MenB.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that two people had died: a student at the University of Kent in Canterbury and a postgraduate student at a county school. Among those who fell ill were young people aged between 18 and 21.
According to one version, the epicentre of the infection could have been the Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury, which is popular among students. The management of the institution is working with representatives of the Ministry of Health to investigate the causes of the outbreak. According to the owner of Chemistry, last weekend the club was visited by about However, doctors emphasise that the long-term solution to the problem is vaccination.
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In the UK, the meningitis vaccine has only been part of the newborn vaccination programme since 2015. Children and teenagers born earlier were only vaccinated if specifically requested by their parents. Therefore, many current high school and college students have no mechanisms to fight the disease, doctors say.
At the same time, they urge not to panic. According to them, specialists are controlling the outbreak and the risk of infection remains minimal. However, doctors emphasise that it is crucial to follow the instructions of epidemiologists and not to refuse help.
What’s happening now
The UKHSA organised the distribution of antibiotics on the Kent campus
PA Media photo
“Meningococcal disease can progress very quickly, so it is vital that students and staff keep a close eye on the signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia,” said Mannes.
“Students are at risk of missing early symptoms of meningitis because they can easily be confused with other conditions such as a bad cold, flu or even a hangover,” she warned.
The University of Kent says it is working to convert offline lectures to an online format following the death of its student.
County schools have instituted increased monitoring of students, but say they have no reason to change the schedule or format of instruction at this time.
What are the dangers of meningitis and what are the symptoms
Meningitis is a membrane infection. The group B strain that was found in all patients in Kent is of the bacterial type of infection.
The main symptoms of meningitis are:
Vaccination against meningitis in Ukraine
In Ukraine, vaccination against meningitis is not included in the calendar of mandatory vaccinations, but only in the recommended ones. Because of this, the state does not purchase this vaccine for general budget money.
However, the drug can be purchased by local communities. Also, everyone can buy the vaccine themselves in a pharmacy or clinic. Now in Ukraine officially sell vaccine against meningitis called “Menactra”.
The price of this vaccine in pharmacies is about 1500 hryvnias.
Vaccination against meningococci can be started from six weeks of life.
Ukraine is purchasing Hib-vaccine against halophilic infection at the expense of the state budget.