Home / Health / Over 100 Students Miss Meningitis Jab as Queue Closes
Over 100 Students Miss Meningitis Jab as Queue Closes
19 Mar
Summary
- University of Kent closed its vaccine queue due to capacity limits.
- Over 100 students were turned away from the meningitis vaccine clinic.
- The clinic aims to reopen Friday, advising students to queue early.
On Thursday, the University of Kent's Canterbury campus vaccination clinic was forced to close its queue due to overwhelming demand, leaving more than 100 students unable to receive a meningitis vaccine. Nursing staff could not accommodate additional people within the clinic's remaining opening hours, which concluded at 5pm. Students attempting to join the queue late in the afternoon were turned away, as were many who had been waiting.
The university confirmed the vaccination clinic will resume operations on Friday, operating from 9am to 5pm. They advised individuals seeking the vaccine to be in the queue by 2pm to ensure they could be seen. This situation arose amid a concerning increase in meningitis cases in Kent.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that vaccination efforts were being expanded. Individuals who attended the venue Club Chemistry between March 5 and March 15, along with sixth-formers from four schools and other university students in Canterbury, were eligible for the jab. The UK Health Security Agency reported a total of 27 confirmed or suspected cases as of Wednesday evening, with two student fatalities linked to the outbreak.
