A total of 20 cases of meningitis have been reported in Kent as of 5pm on Tuesday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Wednesday morning, up from 15. Of these, nine cases have been confirmed in the lab and 11 remain under investigation. Six of the confirmed cases have been assessed as the meningitis B strain.
The UKHSA said: "This is a rapidly evolving situation and there may be further cases as those with symptoms are encouraged to seek medical advice. Antibiotics remain the most effective treatment to limit the spread of invasive meningococcal disease. So far, over 2,500 doses have been given to students, close contacts and others including some of those who attended Club Chemistry between March 5-7. GPs across the country will today be advised to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry between March 5-7 and to University of Kent students, if they have been asked to seek preventative treatment. This is so that anyone who has travelled home, or away from Kent, can easily access this important preventative treatment close to them." On Tuesday evening, the outbreak was being treated as a national incident after it emerged an infected person had been admitted to a London hospital.
This comes as Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was currently no stock of meningitis B vaccines for people to pay for privately. He said pharmacies were used to "bridging the gap between what the NHS offers and what patients want".
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