Meningitis: West Dorset
(asked on 20th April 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) awareness, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of meningitis in West Dorset constituency.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed three cases of meningococcal disease among young people in Weymouth, Dorset. These three cases have been confirmed as meningitis B and are the same sub-strain serotype P1.19, P1.15. The UKHSA has confirmed that these cases are not linked to the recent outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent.
As a precautionary measure, antibiotics and the Bexsero vaccine are being offered to young people currently in school years 7 to 13, or the equivalent in terms of age, or anyone not in full time education who would be in one of these year groups, who study or live in the Weymouth, Portland, and Chickerell areas of Dorset. The UKHSA and Dorset Council have issued advice to staff, parents, and carers at all educational settings in the area.
The UKHSA is providing support to education settings, in close partnership with the Department for Education. All affected education settings in Weymouth remain open and events involving children and young people should continue as normal. The UKHSA has published up to date information to ensure parents and concerned members of the public can find the latest information on how the incident is being managed and who can access antibiotics and vaccines, which is available at the following link:
Children and young people should attend their education setting normally, unless specifically told otherwise by a health professional. Attendance supports the education, health, and wellbeing of children and young people.
As my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, told the House on 17 March in the context of the recent meningococcal disease outbreak in Kent, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations (JCVI) has been asked to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines to assess, for example, an expanded offer to older children and/or young adults. The JCVI will provide updated advice to the Department this summer around whether, and to what extent, a vaccine programme for older children and/or young adults would be clinically effective as well as an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of such a vaccination programme.