Experts answer your questions on Kent meningitis outbreak

A meningitis outbreak in Kent has been linked to a strain against which the majority of teenagers are not protected.

A university student, 21, and a school pupil, 18, are confirmed to have died in the outbreak.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed two more cases of meningitis in the Canterbury area of Kent, bringing the total to 15.

All have been hospitalised, with four confirmed as meningitis B infections.

The majority of young people born before 2015 have not been vaccinated for meningitis B (MenB) unless they had the jab privately. Hundreds of people are being urged to get antibiotics to stem the spread of infection.

Health experts Dr Ellie Cannon, a GP, Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of charity Meningitis Now, the BBC's health editors Hugh Pym and Dr Michelle Roberts have been answering your questions on the outbreak.

Here's a selection of their responses.

How is meningitis transmitted?

The infection can be spread through "close personal contact", Hugh Pym explained.

This could happen in crowded environments or close living arrangements.

He also said the infection can be spread by people who are not presenting with symptoms.

While it is not as infectious as illnesses like flu or Covid, it can take a turn for the worse "really quickly", Pym added.

Are only children born after 2015 vaccinated for MenB?

The MenB vaccine was introduced for babies born on or after 1 July 2015.

That means it is "very possible" teenagers now will not have received it "because that was not on the schedule when those young adults were babies," Dr Ellie Cannon explained.

However, some young people may have opted to get the vaccine privately, she said.

Another vaccine, the MenACWY, protects against four strains of meningococcal bacteria and is offered to teenagers at school when they are around 13 or 14 years old. However, it does not protect against MenB.

The "concern right now" is therefore about young adults not having had the MenB vaccines and this is what parents should be checking, Cannon said.

Should I pay for the MenB vaccine?

The MenACWY vaccine offers protection against meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y. This vaccine is free for anyone who missed out at school until their 25th birthday, the BBC's digital health editor Dr Michelle Roberts explained.

Meanwhile, the MenB vaccine helps protect against meningococcal group B bacteria and is recommended for babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 12 weeks and a booster at one year.

"There have been calls for the MenB vaccine to be offered more widely to protect teenagers and young people, but the NHS does not currently offer a catch up campaign for MenB," Roberts added.

"High street pharmacies offer a full course of the MenB vaccine, with two doses costing around £220".

GPs should be able to provide a patient with their vaccine record.

Should I get the vaccine if I have a weak immune system or if I am elderly?

The MenB vaccine is only recommended on the NHS for babies, not teenagers or adults.

People aged 65 and over or those who are high risk are offered a different vaccine - pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) that can help protect against a different cause of meningitis.

Vaccination is a personal choice and it is important to "speak with your GP or healthcare provider to discuss your needs", Roberts said.

How serious is meningitis?

Dr Tom Nutt said meningitis can cause "devastation when it strikes" and that around one in 10 people infected by bacterial meningitis will die.

He added that it was not unusual for people to die within 24 hours or less.

There is something "particularly nasty about this disease", which causes "untold pain" to families, Nutt said.

Why is meningitis spreading now?

Nutt said there was a "tragic randomness" and unpredictability to meningitis outbreaks.

"There's a necessary vigilance that's required all the time," he said.

As meningitis is so fast-acting, it is important that if anyone feels unwell they should tell their flatmates or neighbours, so they can keep an eye on them, Nutt said.