Meningitis outbreak: Family of teen who died call for wider MenB vaccine programme

The family of an 18-year-old woman who died following a meningitis B (MenB) outbreak in Kent have called for young people to be better protected from the illness. Juliette Kenny is one of two people to have died from the infection last week, the other being a 21-year-old University of Kent student. Her father Michael Kenny called her "a force in this world" who "spread fun, love and happiness". It comes as the number of confirmed or suspected cases of invasive meningitis rose to 29 on Friday - up from 27 on Thursday. The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) now says everyone who went to Club Chemistry in Canterbury - where the outbreak is believed to have originated - between 5 and 15 March can get a MenB vaccination. Year 12 and 13 pupils at schools with confirmed or probable cases, students and staff at the University of Kent and anyone who has been offered preventative antibiotic treatment by the UKHSA are also eligible. Previously, only University of Kent students living in halls had been offered the vaccine. However, Juliette's family have urged the government to extend routine NHS access to the MenB vaccine to teenagers and young adults. MenB is the most common cause of meni