Kent meningitis outbreak prompts rush for routine vaccinations in England

Exclusive: Parental consents in Greater Manchester up 40% as demand surges in various parts of the country School immunisation services and pharmacies are reporting surging demand for routine vaccinations after the Kent meningitis outbreak in which two teenagers died. Thousands of teenagers across England have booked or received jabs in the past fortnight against the A, C, W and Y strains of meningitis (MenACWY), and diphtheria, polio and tetanus (Td/IPV). Experts said the increase in immunisation was a small silver lining to the meningitis B outbreak, which has also left 18 people in hospital. Latest figures show that only 72% of year 9 pupils received the MenACWY or booster Td/IPV inoculations in the 2024-25 academic year, well below the recommended 95%. The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) have reported burgeoning demand for routine year 9 inoculations across England. The NPA chair, Olivier Picard, said: “Although this has largely been for MenB vaccinations, we’ve also seen a significant uptick in demand for MenACWY among teenagers who have missed out on their initial vaccine from the NHS. “An unintentional but encouraging consequence of th