Surge in pharmacy bookings for meningitis jabs amid Kent outbreak

Pharmacies are experiencing a surge in bookings for meningitis vaccines as people try to get jabs privately.

Superdrug told the Press Association bookings for its service are 65 times higher than a week ago.

It comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that some cases in the Kent outbreak are meningitis B.

Health experts warned of “unequal access” to protection based on the ability to pay.

In the coming days, officials will launch a small vaccination programme for students who live at Canterbury Campus Halls of Residence at the University of Kent.

A jab for menB was introduced for babies as past of the routine childhood immunisation programme in 2015.

But the majority of young people born before 2015 are not protected, unless they have had the jab privately.

A number of pharmacies offer the menB vaccine, including Superdrug, where it is available for children from the age of two months and adults aged up to 50.

A course of two to three doses is recommended, priced at £110 per dose.

A spokesperson for Superdrug told PA: “At Superdrug, bookings at our nurse clinics for our meningitis service this week have surged to 65 times the level seen last week.”

At Boots, the vaccination service is for adults and children aged two and over costing £220 for two doses.

At Well Pharmacy, the vaccine is available for children from the age of two months and adults aged up to 50.

The course includes two to three doses, depending on age, at £110 each.

Asda also launched a meningitis vaccine service last year, with a full menB course available for £179.76.

Appointment availability varies across the country as of 11.30 on March 17.

There were appointments available at Boots in major cities including London, but there are none currently available at the Boots store in Canterbury.

Superdrug health clinics across the South East also had appointments available.

On Tuesday, UKHSA said there have been 15 cases of meningitis reported to them in Kent, up from 13 reported previously.

Four of these cases are confirmed to have menB.

UKHSA officials investigating the outbreak, which has left two young people dead and others in hospital, told PA it would confirm the strain in other cases when the full results are available.

Experts also said it “takes time for the immune response to kick in” after vaccination and stressed that getting antibiotics to those exposed should be a priority.

On Monday, hundreds of people who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on March 5, 6 or 7 were told to come forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a “precautionary measure”.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said: “The first question on vaccination is whether this B strain is covered by the vaccine as this isn’t always the case – this takes time for the UKHSA to work out in the laboratory and they are working round the clock on this.

“If it does match then B vaccines are great but it takes time for the immune response to kick in after the jab and so the absolute priority today is to ensure that those who have been exposed get antibiotics to stop them developing the disease or spreading the B germs to others.”

Dr Eliza Gil, clinical lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), added: “Some families choose to access vaccination privately as it is commercially available on the high street from chemists.

“This creates a situation where currently we have unequal access based on ability to pay.”

The charity Meningitis Now has called for teenagers and young people to be vaccinated against meningitis B on the NHS as part of its No Plan B for menB campaign.

It also says menB jabs should be available on the high street “at a fair price”.

On the NHS, the menB jab is recommended for babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 12 weeks and a booster at one year.

Other routine childhood jabs, including the 6-in-1 and pneumococcal vaccines, can protect against meningitis.

Elsewhere, the menACWY vaccine is a single dose jab that protects against four strains of meningococcal bacteria. It was also introduced in 2015.

It is offered to teenagers in school and is also available to those entering university, up to the age of 25.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) urged the NHS commission pharmacies to provide a catch-up service for teenagers who missed their menACWY vaccine, and called for reforms to the childhood vaccination programme.

NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: “Some pharmacies are already seeing an uptick in patients contacting them to book menACWY and menB vaccinations and we anticipate this demand will continue to grow.

“Meningitis is a very serious illness but the risk can be significantly reduced through vaccination.

“Many parents may be unaware of the risks posed to older teenagers from meningitis and the importance of getting vaccinated.”