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. 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