Pharmacies run out of meningitis vaccine as number of cases increases

Pharmacies have run out of supply of the meningitis vaccine, according to the chairman of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Olivier Picard told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there was currently no stock of meningitis B vaccines for people to pay for privately.

He said pharmacies were used to “bridging the gap between what the NHS offers and what patients want”.

He said: “Unfortunately, that supply has run out, and most of our distributors, wholesalers have no stock. And whilst we’re hearing that there may be some stock in the system, it is taking its time to come into our fridges. There’s no date of resupply.

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“Overnight, between sort of the hours of 11pm and 6am this morning, I have received over 100 appointments through our booking system in my pharmacies for vaccine we simply don’t have no idea when they will be available.

“We are at the mercy of the manufacturers and the wholesalers to supply our pharmacies, and our patients are worried. They want their children vaccinated.”

He described it as an “impossible situation”.

The number of cases of meningitis being investigated by health officials linked to Kent has risen to 20, up from 15 previously. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that, as of 5pm on Tuesday, some 20 cases of meningitis had been reported to it, up from 15 on Tuesday.

Of these, nine cases have been confirmed in the lab and 11 remain under investigation. Six of the confirmed cases have been confirmed as the meningitis B strain.

A statement said: “All those affected who are currently linked to the outbreak are young adults. UKHSA is aware of a baby with confirmed meningococcal group B infection who is not currently linked to the outbreak but UKHSA will continue to investigate this case.”

Vaccines are being given to students at the university and GPs across the country have been told to prescribe antibiotics.

Pharmacies yesterday said they were experiencing a surge in bookings for meningitis vaccines as people tried to get jabs privately. Superdrug told the Press Association bookings for its service were 65 times higher than a week ago.

A jab for menB was introduced for babies as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme in 2015. But the majority of young people born before 2015 are not protected, unless they have had the jab privately.

A number of pharmacies offer the menB vaccine, including Superdrug, where it is available for children from the age of two months and adults aged up to 50. A course of two to three doses is recommended, priced at £110 per dose.

At Boots, the vaccination service is for adults and children aged two and over costing £220 for two doses. At Well Pharmacy, the vaccine is available for children from the age of two months and adults aged up to 50.

The course includes two to three doses, depending on age, at £110 each. Asda also launched a meningitis vaccine service last year, with a full menB course available for £179.76.

On Monday, hundreds of people who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on March 5, 6 or 7 were told to come forward for preventative antibiotic treatment as a “precautionary measure”.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said: “The first question on vaccination is whether this B strain is covered by the vaccine as this isn’t always the case – this takes time for the UKHSA to work out in the laboratory and they are working round the clock on this.

“If it does match then B vaccines are great but it takes time for the immune response to kick in after the jab and so the absolute priority today is to ensure that those who have been exposed get antibiotics to stop them developing the disease or spreading the B germs to others.”

Dr Eliza Gil, clinical lecturer at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), added: “Some families choose to access vaccination privately as it is commercially available on the high street from chemists. This creates a situation where currently we have unequal access based on ability to pay.”

The charity Meningitis Now has called for teenagers and young people to be vaccinated against meningitis B on the NHS as part of its No Plan B for menB campaign.

It also says menB jabs should be available on the high street “at a fair price”. On the NHS, the menB jab is recommended for babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 12 weeks and a booster at one year.

Other routine childhood jabs, including the 6-in-1 and pneumococcal vaccines, can protect against meningitis. Elsewhere, the menACWY vaccine is a single dose jab that protects against four strains of meningococcal bacteria. It was also introduced in 2015.

It is offered to teenagers in school and is also available to those entering university, up to the age of 25.