Another college has confirmed a suspected meningitis case, although it is reportedly not liked to the outbreak in Kent.
Panic set in across the country last week after two people in Kent sadly died from meningitis B (menB).
The outbreak, which began at the University of Kent, was reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on 13 March with public warnings issued two days later and vaccines were rolled out.
The number of confirmed cases in Kent have dwindled from 23 to 20 and the number of suspected cases under investigation have also fallen from 11 to nine, meaning the total number of cases is 29, down from 34 on Saturday.
Out of the 20 confirmed cases, 19 are meningitis B and all cases have required hospital admission.
Now, St John Rigby College, in Orrell, has issued a statement to parents and carers about a ‘suspected meningococcal case’ affecting one of their students.
St John Rigby College, which issued a letter to families on Friday night, says it has acted swiftly and students are safe to return to classes this week.
The college said: ‘We have been advised by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) that a student who attends this college has recently been reported as a suspected meningococcal case, which we understand will be concerning, especially in light on the ongoing situation in Kent.
‘We would like to reassure you that we have acted quickly and there is only one suspected case at the college.
‘Health agencies have completed contact tracing and there is no known connection to the situation in Kent.
St John Rigby College (pictured), in Orrell, has issued a statement to parents and carers about a ‘suspected meningococcal case’ affecting one of their students
Students queue for the meningitis B vaccine at the University of Kent in Canterbury on Thursday
Juliette Kenny, 18, died on Saturday surrounded by her family after falling victim to meningitis
‘Across England, there is roughly one case of meningitis notified each day.
‘Health professionals are managing the local situation as we would for any other case of meningitis in Wigan.
‘All close contacts of this case have been identified already and offered antibiotics as a precaution.
‘No one who has not already been identified and contacted needs antibiotics.
‘The risk to students at this time is very low.
‘There is no need for anyone to remain off college or not continue with usual activities.’
It comes as dozens of eligible people, including students, queued up again around the county for the menB vaccine or antibiotics.
However, numbers in the lines have dropped considerably since the rollout began on Wednesday, with no queue outside the previously busy University of Kent Canterbury campus vaccination site as of 10am on Sunday.
More than 8,000 meningitis B vaccines have been handed out since the outbreak in Kent.
The UKHSA said it expects more cases to be downgraded in the coming days as further laboratory assessments are completed.
Dr Sherine Thomas, infectious diseases consultant at the UKHSA, said: ‘We continue to remain vigilant for new cases and work closely with NHS England and local authorities across the country to ensure that any new cases identified are responded to as quickly as possible.
‘It’s reassuring to have seen so many eligible young people come forward for antibiotics and vaccination, and we’d like to thank everyone involved in this effort so far.
‘Although the risk to the wider population remains low, it is still really important that people know the symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops them.
‘UKHSA continues to work with partners to identify contacts and offer necessary treatment.’
Kent County Council’s director of public health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, warned on Friday that ‘small household, sporadic clusters’ could appear in other parts of the UK as students who have travelled away from Kent ‘incubate’ the bug.
But he said these would be ‘containable’ and stressed the risk of infection between individuals is low.
Students receive vaccines and antibiotics from medical staff at the University of Kent on Thursday
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Two people have died – Juliette Kenny, 18, a sixth former at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham and an unnamed University of Kent student aged 21 – and other victims have been hospitalised.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kent students queued for hours on Friday for vaccination jabs as the government rushes to stop the spread of the infection.
The UKHSA said its laboratories finished an initial genetic analysis of the strain, which confirms the Bexsero vaccine being offered in Kent ‘should provide protection’.
Going into further detail, it said the strain ‘belongs to a group of bacteria known as group B meningococci, sequence type 485 belonging to the larger clonal complex ST-41/44’ – and similar strains have been circulating in the UK for around five years.
This week, Juliette’s father Michael Kenny said his family’s devastation is ‘immeasurable’ and called for better protection for young people. Juliette died last Saturday – one day after first showing symptoms which were vomiting and discolouration in her cheeks.
Mr Kenny said she had been ‘fit, healthy and strong’ before her death and had completed the practical assessment for her PE A-level on Thursday, March 12.
He described Juliette as having a ‘beautifully positive energy’, adding that ‘no family should experience this pain and tragedy’ and that ‘this can be avoided’.
Mr Kenny also said he wanted his daughter’s legacy to be ‘lasting change’, saying in a statement: ‘We are incredibly proud parents to two wonderful daughters.
‘Juliette is a force in this world. With her beautifully positive energy she spread fun, love and happiness to those around her and she continues to do so now. The devastation of her loss to us, her family and friends is immeasurable.
‘Sharing stories of the empathy, warmth and fun that she created is helping her family and friends through at this time. Her energy continues to make the people who love her find a way. The illness took her from us so quickly.’
Mr Kenny said he first became aware that his daughter was ill when she vomited in the early hours of Friday, March 13 – but had no other symptoms at that time.
‘In the morning on Friday, she was taken, by us, to our local emergency drop-in as a discolouration appeared on her cheeks,’ Mr Kenny said. ‘She was given antibiotics and sent by ambulance to A&E.
‘Juliette fought bravely for hours, but despite the fantastic NHS hospital staff fighting alongside her, meningitis took her from us less than 12 hours later.
‘We were with her at the end, and the last sounds that she heard were the voices of those who loved her telling her how very much loved and cherished she is.’
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A photo issued by the Meningitis Research Foundation of the Kenny family (left to right) Juliette, Michael, Rebecca and Florence. Juliette Kenny died from meningitis last Saturday
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Along with the Meningitis Research Foundation, Mr Kenny and his family are calling for the UK to take urgent action to improve access to the menB vaccination for teenagers and young people.
‘No family should experience this pain and tragedy,’ he said. ‘This can be avoided. There are young people currently battling this and young people still at risk.
‘As parents, we knew our children would change the world and be a force for good. The work to protect young people has started. It needs to be more.
‘Juliette’s impact on this world must be lasting change. Now is the time to ensure families are safe from the impact of meningitis B.’
Vinny Smith, chief executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, said in 2015 the charity’s calls for the menB vaccination to be ‘routinely available’ on the NHS for all at-risk age groups was ‘not taken forward’ as it was ‘judged not to be cost-effective’.
The menB jab was introduced on the NHS for babies in 2015, meaning the majority of young people born before then are not protected against it unless they have had the jab privately.
The Kenny family were not aware that the vaccination is not routinely available on the NHS for teenagers and young adults, and that to have this they would need to pay for it privately.
Mr Smith called on the Government to ‘decide now to save lives’ and highlighted menB’s ‘lifelong impact’, including disabilities caused by the bug.
He said: ‘When we made the case for menB vaccination to be routinely available on the NHS in 2015 for all at-risk age groups, wider protection for teenagers and young adults was not taken forward (it was judged to not be cost-effective within the criteria used at the time).
‘Our concern, then and now, is that this has not fully reflected the impact of menB or the full value protection from a vaccine brings.
‘It hasn’t accounted for the severity of meningitis, its lifelong impact, or the trauma and bereavement experienced by families.
‘People across the country will have seen that impact this week; we believe the UK Government can decide now to save lives and limit the lifelong disabilities caused by meningitis, protecting people for generations to come.’
Mr Smith also told BBC Breakfast that the Kenny family asked him to express ‘just how clearly’ they feel about ensure everyone has protection from meningitis, adding: ‘There is confusion out there, and very understandably so.’
He claimed that people at the age when they are most at risk from menB are not protected, saying: ‘We should take risk out of that as much as we can.’
