NHS Offers Second MenB Vaccine to 12,000 People After Kent Outbreak
The NHS will offer second doses of the meningitis B vaccine to nearly 12,000 people starting next week. These people got their first shots after a deadly outbreak hit Kent last month, affecting university students and school pupils.
The NHS will offer second doses of the meningitis B vaccine to nearly 12,000 people starting next week following a deadly outbreak in Kent last month.
Thousands of university students and school pupils in the area received their first vaccine doses after being exposed to the infection. Health officials are now rolling out second doses to provide stronger protection.
Meningitis B is a serious bacterial infection that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It can kill or cause permanent disability like hearing loss or brain damage within hours. The disease spreads through close contact like kissing, coughing, or sharing drinks.
The MenB vaccine is normally given to babies and offered to teenagers in year 9 at school. Anyone under 25 who missed their school vaccination can get a free catch-up dose from their GP.
Kent health officials acted quickly during the outbreak to identify and vaccinate people who may have been exposed to prevent further spread.
Meningitis B can kill or cause permanent disability within hours. A second vaccine dose gives better protection against this dangerous infection that spreads easily in schools and colleges.
Second vaccine doses begin next week for those who got first shots during the Kent outbreak.
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