Three young people contract meningitis in Weymouth

Three young people have contracted meningitis in a Dorset town in recent weeks, health bosses have said.

Two are pupils at Budmouth Academy, Weymouth, and the other attends Wey Valley Academy, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

It said the cases were confirmed between 20 March and 15 April and were not linked to the deadly Kent outbreak. All pupils in years 7 to 13 in Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell are to be offered antibiotics and the MenB vaccination.

The agency said there was no confirmed epidemiological link between the Budmouth cases and the one at Wey Valley, prompting fears the strain is transmitting more widely among young people in Weymouth.

All three young people have received treatment and are recovering well, the agency said.

There were about 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease diagnosed in England every year, it added.

The three cases in Weymouth have been confirmed as Meningitis B (MenB) and are the same sub-strain type, but a different sub-strain to the one detected recently in Kent.

The two pupils at Budmouth Academy are contacts of each other.

Close contacts of the cases have already been offered antibiotics as a precaution.

UKHSA deputy director Dr Beth Smout said: "It is possible that we will see further cases linked to these latest cases in Weymouth and we understand that there will be concern among students, staff, parents and the local community as we widen our offer of antibiotics and vaccination.

"I'd like to stress that this is an additional precaution, and that we're following national guidelines to reduce the risk of the infection spreading.

"School pupils and staff should attend school as normal if they remain well."

UKHSA said it was working with Dorset Council, the NHS and local partners, and the single-dose antibiotics and vaccine would be offered in stages starting with Budmouth Academy and Wey Valley schools.

Pupils at other schools and eligible children in Weymouth who do not attend school will be invited after the weekend.

Young people under 16 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is able to provide consent.

In Kent, thousands of students are being offered a second dose of the MenB vaccine following the fatal outbreak in in March.

The incident saw 20 confirmed cases in total and claimed the lives of sixth-form pupil Juliette Kenny, 18, and a 21-year-old student from the University of Kent, who has not been named.

Smout urged everyone to be alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, which can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet.

Septicaemia can also cause a rash that does not fade when pressed against a glass.

"If the disease is suspected, you should seek immediate medical attention as the disease can progress rapidly," she said.