Kent meningitis outbreak triggers surge in UK vaccine demand, policy debate

Young people in southeast England and beyond are lining up for the meningitis B vaccine after an outbreak killed two ​people, sparking supply warnings from pharmacies and raising broader questions about the best public health response to the disease.

People who fear they ‌have been in contact with someone affected in the outbreak in Kent can get the vaccine and preventative antibiotics from the UK Health Security Agency, through university buildings, clinics and GPs.

But private demand for the vaccine from those worried about the disease in the wider population has also surged, pharmacies have reported.

“Pharmacies have been inundated with requests for MenB vaccines in recent days,” ​the National Pharmacy Association, which represents 6,000 independent pharmacies in Britain, said in a statement.

MENINGITIS B SHOT GIVEN TO BABIES SINCE 2015

Pharmacy chains Boots and ​Superdrug have both warned of shortages and implemented online waiting lists. Boots said it was working to source additional supplies ⁠and prioritising the places where demand was highest, notably Kent.

On Thursday, the government released 20,000 doses of the meningitis B vaccine from the NHS supply to ease shortages ​on the private market, but the NPA said this was unlikely to meet demand.

The meningitis B vaccine available on the NHS, Bexsero, is made by British drugmaker ​GSK. It is also available privately, alongside Trumenba, made by U.S. firm Pfizer. Both cost around 200 pounds ($267) when bought privately.

Adolescents in Britain – as in many other countries – are not routinely vaccinated against meningitis B, which is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Meningitis B is caused by one group of bacteria; other bacterial strains as well ​as viral infections can also cause meningitis. Symptoms include fever, drowsiness and vomiting, and it can become serious quickly.

Since 2015, the meningitis B shot has been ​given to babies, who are the highest-risk group for the disease, with a different vaccine against other strains given to teenagers.

However, he also said it was ​not necessary for ⁠people to go out and buy a shot, as those at risk were covered by the UKHSA campaign.

Adam Finn, professor emeritus of paediatrics at the University of Bristol and a JCVI member for other vaccines, said recommendations on healthcare interventions like vaccines were made on the basis of “cost-benefit” analyses.

While the 29 cases in the Kent outbreak were an ⁠unusually high ​number, he said it was unlikely to change the JCVI’s position unless it was the first of ​several similar events.

He said the JCVI would “follow the evidence-based methods they always use to ensure that we all obtain the best value possible from the resources allocated to the NHS”, adding that he ​understood this would not compensate for the pain experienced by those affected by meningitis.