BRITISH health authorities said on Friday that thousands of students will be offered protection against meningitis B through a one-off vaccination programme after the country's largest outbreak of the disease earlier this year.
Two people died in a meningitis B outbreak in Kent, south-east England, in March. Health authorities said it was the largest and fastest-growing outbreak ever seen in Britain.
Authorities said on Friday there have also been more clusters of the disease this year than usual, and that they have been larger than expected.
The vaccination programme, which will begin this summer, is aimed at protecting those considered to be at the highest immediate risk while the government reviews new evidence to determine whether any further vaccine rollout is needed.
The two-dose programme will be offered to all Year 13 pupils aged 17 and 18 in England, as well as people under 25 who are starting university or residential further education for the first time this autumn.
The programme has been designed to provide protection for those beginning university this autumn.
Meningitis B tends to affect students disproportionately because the risk is higher due to close and prolonged contact in halls of residence and at social events.
Adolescents in Britain are not routinely vaccinated against meningitis B. However, since 2015, the country has offered a vaccine against the disease to babies.
