Meningitis: What You Need to Know

You may be concerned about the recent Meningitis B (MenB) outbreak in Kent.

The UK Heath Security Agency (UKHSA) is issuing daily updates and details on the current clinics and vaccination rollout - follow it here: Cases of invasive meningococcal disease notified in Kent - GOV.UK

If you believe you have Meningitis

Call 999 for an ambulance, or go to your nearest A&E - NHS immediately if you think you or someone you look after could have meningitis or sepsis.

Trust your instinct. Do not wait for all the symptoms to appear or until a rash develops, because someone with meningitis or sepsis can get a lot worse very quickly.

Call NHS 111 for advice if you're not sure if it is anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis. If you've had medical advice and are still worried or any symptoms get worse, get medical help again.

Know the Meningitis symptoms: Meningitis - NHS

Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and can include:

• sudden onset of a high temperature (fever)

• being sick; vomiting and diarrhoea 

• severe and worsening headache

• a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)

• a stiff neck

• a dislike of bright lights

• extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking or unresponsiveness

• seizures (fits)

• very cold hands and feet 

• confusion or delirium 

These symptoms can appear in any order. You do not always get all the symptoms.

Meningitis vaccines

Meningitis ACWY vaccine MenACWY vaccine - NHS is available at our practice for registered patients if you are aged between 18-24 years old (up to the age of 25 years) and not previously had it. If you do not know if you have had it, it is safe for you to have it again.

Meningitis B vaccine MenB vaccine for children - NHS is not routinely offered to adults on the NHS. It is currently available to a small group of clinically at-risk patients, and we would contact the eligible patients to arrange. You are able to get a Meningitis B vaccine privately, this could be through private GP clinics, some pharmacies, and travel vaccination clinics.

As UKHSA continues to monitor the outbreak and assess the risks, the vaccination programme may be updated and if so, further advice on additional cohorts will be provided.

On 18/03/2026, UKHSA published information on MenB and this outbreak: what to do, where you can get antibiotics if you are affected, and who is being offer a vaccination: Meningitis B outbreak: what you need to know – UK Health Security Agency

UKHSA advised that the risk of infection to the wider population remains low and that the MenB bacteria is not as contagious as infections such as measles or COVID-19, and transmission requires close and prolonged contact - such as living in the same household or intimate contact like kissing. 

Meanwhile, check your SystmOnline account or the NHS App for your vaccine record.

If you are not eligible for the MenB vaccine, you should still make sure you are up to date with the MMRV vaccine and MenACWY vaccines, which help protect against other causes of meningitis.   We encourage patients to stay up to date with and take up NHS vaccinations when offered.