** Meningitis update 23/03/2026 **
Please find below the latest correspondence from UKHSA. You can also find further updates via the following link: Meningitis outbreak information hub | ICS
Antibiotics and vaccines update
Thank you to everyone coming forward for meningitis B vaccinations and antibiotics. Please be patient as we work through the large number of people at the clinics we are running in the east Kent area.
The first priority is the antibiotic. If you’re eligible, please take up this offer. This is a precautionary measure to prevent the disease from developing.
Please be reassured that if you need the vaccine, there will be an opportunity for you to receive it.
The eligibility list from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is:
- close contacts of those who are confirmed or suspected to have meningococcal disease.
- students at the University of Kent who are normally resident on the Canterbury Campus, including those who may have now travelled home. Some staff living or working in these Halls of Residence have also been offered preventative antibiotics and are eligible for vaccination.
- students who attend other universities in Canterbury, living in halls of residence or off-campus locations where there has been a case, and have been advised to take an antibiotic due to a close contact by UKHSA.
- sixth form students (years 12 and 13) attending a secondary school or sixth form college in Kent where there has been a confirmed or probable case of meningococcal disease informed by local risk assessment.
- anyone who visited or was working at Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5 March and 15 March, when the venue closed voluntarily.
Please only attend a clinic if you are included in this group. Read the full list of clinics.
If you are eligible but have already left the area, you can receive the vaccine at your local GP practice.
