Key Summary
- Three MenB cases have been confirmed in Weymouth, Dorset.
- Two are pupils at Budmouth Academy and the other attends Wey Valley Academy.
- Vaccinations are ongoing in schools and in the young population in the area.
Three young people in Weymouth, Dorset have been confirmed to have meningitis B, known as MenB.
They are undergoing treatment and are recovering well.
UKHSA assures that these cases are not linked to the recent outbreak in Kent and this outbreak is not showing the same speed of transmission or severity of illness.
Of the patients, two are pupils at Budmouth Academy, Weymouth, and the other attends Wey Valley Academy.
UKHSA deputy director Dr Beth Smout said: "It is possible that we will see further cases linked to these latest cases in Weymouth and we understand that there will be concern among students, staff, parents and the local community as we widen our offer of antibiotics and vaccination.
"I'd like to stress that this is an additional precaution, and that we're following national guidelines to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.
"School pupils and staff should attend school as normal if they remain well."
The two cases who attend Budmouth Academy are contacts of each other, but currently no confirmed epidemiological link has been made with the other case.
This may mean that this strain of MenB bacteria is transmitting more widely among young people in Weymouth.
Due to this, and as an additional precautionary measure, antibiotics and MenB vaccination will now be offered to young people currently in school years 7 to 13 (or equivalent), or anyone not in full time education who would be in one of these year groups, who study in or live in the Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell areas of Dorset.
UKHSA said it was working with Dorset Council, the NHS and local partners, and the single-dose antibiotics and vaccine would be offered in stages starting with Budmouth Academy and Wey Valley schools.
Pupils at other schools and eligible children in Weymouth who do not attend school will be invited after the weekend.
Meningitis B, known as MenB, is the most common bacterial form of the disease. About 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England every year, although outbreaks are rare.
