Third of eligible Wiltshire students have had meningitis B jab

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 06:15 · Archive

One third of eligible young people in Wiltshire have received the meningitis B vaccine, leaving two thirds still unprotected.

One third of young people eligible for the meningitis B vaccine have received a first dose in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board area, according to figures released by the UK Health Security Agency. This represents 33.7 per cent uptake, the highest in the region, though still below target levels.

Of 13,443 eligible young people across the three areas, 4,535 had received a first dose by 20 September, leaving almost 9,000 completely unprotected. The figures were published on World Meningitis Day on 5 October.

The local uptake outperforms the South West average of 30.7 per cent and the national average of 26.6 per cent, but fewer than one in three eligible young people have yet completed even the first step towards protection against the disease.

The vaccination figures come months after a series of meningococcal outbreaks at universities and colleges across England. The most serious outbreak occurred in Kent before Easter, with a nightclub in Canterbury identified as the epicentre of a "super-spreader" event. UKHSA scientists found genetic changes in the bacteria which may explain why that outbreak was particularly severe.

Further outbreaks occurred in Dorset and Berkshire. Across the three outbreaks, three people died and some survivors were left with life-changing health complications.

Third of eligible Wiltshire students have had meningitis B jab — Image: Swindon Advertiser

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How it is being reported

Two thirds of Wiltshire students still unprotected from deadly virusJust a third of young people who are eligible for a life-saving meningitis vaccine have had the jab.Swindon Advertiser · 7 Oct, 05:00
Two thirds of Wiltshire students still unprotected from deadly virusJust a third of young people who are eligible for a life-saving meningitis vaccine have had the jab.Wiltshire Times · 7 Oct, 05:00
Two thirds of Wiltshire students still unprotected from deadly virusJust a third of young people who are eligible for a life-saving meningitis vaccine have had the jab.Gazette & Herald · 7 Oct, 05:00

In this story: UK Health Security Agency · Bath and North East Somerset · Swindon · Wiltshire · Kent · Canterbury · Dorset · Berkshire

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