US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Meningitis outbreak being treated as national incident as health secretary warns spread is 'unprecedented'
At least 15 meningitis B cases linked to a Canterbury nightclub led to two student deaths and a targeted vaccination program for 5,000 university hall residents, UKHSA said.
- On Friday, March 13, the UK Health Security Agency was notified and began urgent contact tracing after recording 15 meningitis cases including two deaths in Canterbury, Kent, affecting University of Kent students.
- Experts say the outbreak stems from a super-spreader event at Club Chemistry nightclub, Canterbury over March 5-7, with ongoing spread through university halls and parties, UKHSA chief Susan Hopkins said.
- Laboratory teams have confirmed four Meningitis B cases and begun whole genome sequencing, while four antibiotic distribution centres in Canterbury hold 11,000 doses and health officials urge Ciprofloxacin use as an 80%-90% effective preventive.
- Launching a targeted response, the government will vaccinate around 5,000 students in university halls in the coming days, while four schools in Kent report cases and hundreds are offered antibiotics.
- Given a two to 14-day incubation period, UKHSA criticisms highlight a delay in informing the public, but officials say the response will be reviewed after containment; Dr Thomas Waite called it 'the quickest-growing outbreak I've ever seen.
Insights by Ground AI
22 Articles
22 Articles
UK PM Starmer urges nightclubgoers to get antibiotics after deadly meningitis outbreak
LONDON, March 19 — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday called on anyone who visited a nightclub at the centre of a deadly meningitis outbreak to come forward to receive antibiotics.Starmer told parliament the outbreak in Canterbury, in southeastern England, had left two young people dead and others seriously ill.Health experts were working to identify close contacts of those who had contracted meningitis, Starmer said, adding he was as…
·Selangor, Malaysia
Read Full Article
The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Meningitis B latest: Health chiefs issue alert to NHS staff as outbreak spreads
Canterbury Christ Church University confirms one case as vaccine rollout under way
·London, United Kingdom
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left6Leaning Right4Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Left, 37% Center
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
38% Left
L 38%
C 37%
R 25%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
