Kent MenB Outbreak Triggers Second-Dose Push for Nearly 12,000 Exposed People
UK health officials are widening the MenB response in Kent by offering second doses to people already given a first shot, after an outbreak that has left two people dead and 21 confirmed cases.
Overview
On April 13, nearly 12,000 people in the U.K. who had already received a first MenB dose in response to the Kent outbreak were told they will be offered a second shot starting next week, according to MedicalXpress/HealthDay. UKHSA says the MenB course requires two doses, the second should be given at least four weeks after the first, and it can take at least two weeks after that second dose for enough antibodies to build for protection, according to the UKHSA blog.
What Changed
The current rollout builds on the March response, when UKHSA expanded vaccination to everyone offered preventative antibiotics, sixth-form students in affected Kent schools and colleges, and people connected to Club Chemistry in Canterbury, while also releasing 20,000 NHS doses to the private market to ease pressure on pharmacies, according to GOV.UK. NHS England also said practices should vaccinate eligible patients who had already returned home from campus, and that Bexsero is a two-dose vaccine with the second dose administered 28 days after the first, according to NHS England.
Why It Matters
As of April 1, UKHSA had recorded 21 confirmed MenB cases linked to Canterbury, Kent, with all 21 hospitalised and two deaths since the start of the incident, according to GOV.UK. UKHSA says the wider-public risk remains low because MenB transmission requires close and prolonged contact, such as living in the same household or intimate contact like kissing or sharing drinks or vapes, according to the UKHSA blog.
What Remains Unclear
UKHSA says the outbreak has moved from an enhanced incident to a standard incident and that it will not publish additional updates unless there are further developments, according to GOV.UK. The practical question now is whether the second-dose campaign, together with contact tracing and preventative antibiotics, is enough to prevent new linked cases from appearing as students and other contacts disperse beyond Kent, which UKHSA says it is still monitoring through active contact tracing and antibiotic offers, according to the UKHSA blog.