Scientific Advisory Committee to Review Broader MenB Vaccination Eligibility
Experts are evaluating the potential benefits of routinely vaccinating a wider population against meningitis B following a fatal outbreak in Kent.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has initiated a review after Health Secretary Wes Streeting requested a reassessment of meningitis vaccine eligibility criteria to include more individuals beyond the current qualifying groups.
The Kent Meningitis Outbreak: Current Situation and Concerns
Health authorities in Kent, where two deaths have occurred, have warned that cases may spread beyond the county as students travel home for the Easter holidays. As of Friday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 18 confirmed cases with an additional 11 under investigation.
has learned that the JCVI is not only reviewing the outbreak in Kent but is also considering expanding routine meningitis B vaccination eligibility.
The JCVI, responsible for advising the UK governments on immunisation policies, previously determined that a catch-up campaign for individuals born before 2015—when the MenB vaccine was introduced for infants—would not be cost-effective. Experts note that the vaccine’s protection lasts only a few years and does not prevent bacterial transmission.
Public Health Perspectives and Possible Scenarios
Kent County Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, indicated that sporadic meningitis cases are likely to appear elsewhere in the UK over the next month due to student travel during Easter.
Dr Ghosh stated that while he expects the increase in cases to slow after a month, it is not yet possible to confirm whether the outbreak has peaked.
At a briefing, Dr Ghosh outlined three potential scenarios for the next four weeks, which is the estimated duration for the outbreak to subside:
"In the first, the outbreak remains contained in Kent."
"In the second, students incubating the disease while traveling for Easter develop cases, leading to small household or sporadic clusters outside Kent. However, such cases are highly unlikely to trigger a new outbreak."
"The third, and worst-case, scenario would involve another cluster outside Kent, though this is also highly unlikely."
Families Affected and Campaigns for Vaccine Access
On 15 March, the family of Juliette Kenny, who died from the disease, expressed their profound grief. Her father, Michael Kenny, remarked:
"No family should experience this pain and tragedy."
"I want my daughter’s legacy to be lasting change."
The family is actively campaigning for routine access to the meningitis B vaccine for teenagers and young people.
Expert Opinions on Vaccination Policy
Dr Michael Head, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, suggested that the JCVI could consider adding the MenB vaccine to routine immunisations for Year 9 students.
"There would certainly be value in an updated review by the JCVI to understand the value of a booster rollout in teenagers for MenB. We do already have school-based immunisation, including for the MenACWY vaccine. Should there be any revisions to the policy, this could be a more simplified approach for adding the MenB vaccine."
Conversely, Professor Andy Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, expressed skepticism about an expansion recommendation from the JCVI.
"There is certainly a case for revisiting the wider use in adolescents, but it is unlikely to come up with a different answer unless circumstances change (ie more cases or observations of wider benefit). There is clear potential health benefit for a programme and it would likely prevent the relatively small numbers of cases which occur in this age group each year.
However, JCVI is not able to make a positive recommendation as they are constrained by the Treasury rules on cost-effectiveness."
Vaccine Effectiveness and Outbreak Strain Analysis
The UKHSA reported that initial genetic analysis indicates the Bexsero vaccine currently administered in Kent should protect against the MenB strain involved in the outbreak.
The strain is identified as group B meningococci, sequence type 485, part of the larger clonal complex ST-41/44. Similar strains have circulated in the UK for approximately five years, though detailed pathogen analysis is ongoing.
Vaccine Availability and Public Health Response
Authorities emphasized that vaccine supplies are sufficient amid ongoing demand. On Friday, NHS Kent and Medway reported that over 4,500 individuals had received vaccinations and 10,561 antibiotic doses had been distributed.
Ed Waller, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Strategic Commissioning Officer at NHS Kent and Medway, stated:
"We have plenty of vaccine here in Kent. We’ll draw down more from the national stock. And we’ll do our utmost through the weekend to put as much capacity into the sites as we can, and see as much of the cohort as we can."
