Meningitis Now's latest statement
17th March 2026 - 11 am
An update from Meningitis Now on the developing situation in Kent.
The charity’s Chief Executive, Dr Tom Nutt, said:
“There are gaps in the NHS immunisation schedule, particularly around MenB. We are campaigning for the MenB vaccination to be made more widely available to those at risk, especially teenagers and young adults.
We also urge people to make themselves aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis, to check their vaccination status, and to get immediate medical help if they suspect themselves or a loved one could have meningitis.”
“The MenB vaccine has been given to infants in the UK since 2015. However, this means that many thousands of teenagers and young adults are unvaccinated and unprotected against this form of the disease. Currently, the MenB vaccine is only available to teenagers and young adults privately through high-street and supermarket pharmacies, hence the vast majority of this age group are unvaccinated.”
“Despite what has happened in Kent, we would like to reiterate that meningitis is a relatively rare disease. In the long-run, the good news is that the NHS vaccination programme has been very successful in bringing down the number of cases of meningitis in the UK.”
Vaccines are the only way to prevent meningitis. However, vaccines do not protect against all causes of meningitis, and no vaccine is 100% effective. It is essential that people make themselves aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and get help if they suspect it has struck.
It has been confirmed that a number of the cases in the Canterbury area have been caused by MenB – meningococcal group B. MenB is the most common cause of meningococcal meningitis in the UK. MenB is devastating, cruel, life-changing – and preventable.
Meningitis Now’s “No Plan B for MenB” campaign calls for three things:
- The MenB vaccination to be given to all those at most risk of disease.
- A MenB booster programme to protect adolescents by 2030.
- Availability of the MenB vaccination on the high street at a fair price.
