You may feel worried about recent events. Please remember, the NHS, Kent County Council and the UK Health Security Agency are taking all necessary steps to keep children safe. The following information should help you know what you need to do.
There are two important actions you can take to support management of this incident and help protect your loved ones. These are:
You can find out about meningitis, symptoms and and when to seek help. You do not need to give your child precautionary antibiotics unless contacted by the UKHSA.
Meningitis B has been identified as the strain involved in this incident. Vaccination against this is only routinely offered to children under two, meaning children born before 2015 (when this programme was introduced) have not been vaccinated as part of their routine immunisation schedule. Because of this, it's important to know the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia; spotting them early can save lives.
You should continue to send your child to school, unless asked not to do so by the school. Schools have been kept up-to-date by the councils and the Department for Education.
The symptoms and signs of meningitis and septicaemia in babies can include:
NHS guidance on the signs and symptoms of meningitis in babies, and advice on how to protect your baby, can be found in this leaflet.
NHS vaccination is only available to those in the eligible cohort. The NHS programme uses the Bexsero vaccine.
If your child is eligible for an NHS vaccination and had a first private vaccination with a vaccine called Bexsero, the second follow-up dose of the vaccine can be given on the NHS, four weeks on from the first dose.
If you do not have a card/letter with the details of the first vaccine type on it, please obtain this from the private provider so that this can be verified.
If the first private vaccination was using the Trumenba vaccine, then you will need to go back to the private provider for the second dose, as the NHS does not use this vaccine and the course must be completed with the same product.
* For eligible cohorts for the vaccine on the NHS, please see the eligibility list from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Meningitis outbreak information hub | ICS
Teenagers and young adults born before 1 May 2015, will not have received the MenB vaccine as part of the NHS schedule.
Many people can view your GP health record, or your child's record, using the NHS App or by logging into your account on the NHS website. This will include information about vaccinations you or your child has had.
You can create an account if you do not already have one.
To view your GP record online, you must be:
When you create an account, you'll need to prove your identity before you can view your GP health record. This helps keep your record secure.
In response to the ongoing outbreak, the government has agreed that vaccination will be extended to include Year 11s in schools where the vaccination offer has already been made. Widening the vaccine offer is a precautionary measure to ensure longer-term protection, whilst helping to minimise disruption to school attendance at a critical time in the academic year.
Eligible students will receive information from their school with details of how to access the vaccine.
To get the best protection, it is important for you or your child to have your vaccines when they are offered, or as soon as possible afterwards if they were missed. Children who have missed one or more dose of the MenB vaccine can receive these free of charge up to their second birthday.
Teenagers can arrange to have vaccines they have missed. This is especially important before starting university or college. If that's not possible, they should contact their new GP as soon as they arrive. All GP practices should be able to offer free missed MenACWY to students who are under 25 years. International students in the same age group are also eligible for these routine vaccines.
If you were born before 1 May 2015, there is no NHS catch up programme for the MenB vaccine.
No, UKHSA does not advise school closures or keeping children off school. It's safe for pupils to attend as normal, unless they develop symptoms and are very unwell.
UKHSA Health Protection Teams will contact schools, universities or other settings who need to take additional precautions.
If your child is in year 12 or 13, a University of Kent student, or meets other parts of the eligibility criteria they are eligible for antibiotics and a vaccine.