LONDON — In response to an "unprecedented" outbreak of meningitis that has claimed two lives and resulted in 20 new cases, Britain will begin administering meningitis vaccines to students at a university in southeast England.

The UK Health Security Agency reported that all individuals affected are young people, including a 21-year-old student from the University of Kent and a teenager from a school in Faversham who both died.

Of the nine confirmed cases, six are identified as group B (MenB). Additionally, there is a confirmed case of MenB in a baby that is not connected to the outbreak.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting characterized the outbreak as "unprecedented in its spread."

Since 2015, the UK has provided a MenB vaccine to infants, meaning that many current university students may not have received it.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control stated that the risk of invasive meningococcal disease to the general population in the EU and European Economic Area is "very low."

France has reported one case of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) potentially linked to the same outbreak, according to the agency.

Students at Risk

Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold extremities. Septicaemia may also cause a distinctive rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass.

University and college students are particularly vulnerable due to their close interactions with peers, some of whom may unknowingly carry the bacteria in their nasal passages and throats.

Streeting indicated that most cases were associated with the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury during the period from March 5 to 7.

The UK Health Security Agency has administered approximately 2,500 doses of antibiotics across various sites in Kent.

"As a precautionary measure, we are rolling out a targeted MenB vaccination program in collaboration with the NHS," stated Trish Mannes, UKHSA Regional Deputy Director for the South East, on March 18.

This vaccination will initially be offered to 5,000 students residing at the University of Kent's Canterbury campus, with potential extensions as the situation continues to be monitored.

GSK is currently in discussions with UK authorities regarding a targeted vaccination strategy to combat the outbreak, as per a source familiar with the matter.

Streeting noted that typically, Britain sees about 350 cases of meningitis in a year. "The general risk is low, even though the disease itself is extremely serious," he remarked.

Lilith Whittles, an assistant professor at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, confirmed that there is an effective vaccine against MenB, reducing the risk by approximately 70 to 85 percent against vaccine-preventable strains.

"Targeted vaccination with 4CMenB is being implemented as part of the outbreak response to help prevent further cases. However, vaccine protection is not immediate; it typically takes about one to two weeks for immune responses to develop," she explained.

"In the meantime, providing preventative antibiotics to those who may have been exposed remains crucial."