Kingston University Professor of Medical Microbiology weighs in on the potential of a Covid-style lockdown after recent Meningitis B outbreak
- Life sciences
The March Outbreak
An outbreak of Meningitis B, a strain of a rare but deadly illness, has killed two young people and sickened 20 more in Kent since early March 2026.
The infection, also called MenB, has been linked to Club Chemistry in Canterbury, a venue popular with local university and college students. Experts say this is the fastest outbreak of meningococcal disease they have seen, leaving students worried it will be a repeat of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Fears are high – roughly one in 20 people who develop meningococcal disease dies, according to the Oxford Vaccine Group.
Concerns have been raised of a Covid-grade pandemic leading to severe lockdown restrictions reminiscent of 2020. Health experts including Kingston University Professor of Medical Microbiology Mark Fielder weighed in on potential concerns and next steps that are being taken.
‘We know what we have to do’
A key difference between Covid-19 and the MenB outbreak is treatment. There once was a time when coronavirus was a new disease for which we had no vaccine, meaning no one was immune. Health officials and medical workers came together to fill the gaps by looking at other coronaviruses, similar to the one that causes the common cold and out of this research the Covid-19 vaccine was created.
The key difference with this MenB outbreak is that unlike when Covid-19 first appeared, we have antibiotics and vaccines to limit the spread of the infection. Since 2015, the MenB vaccine has been offered to babies at only eight weeks old, with a second dose at 12 weeks and a booster at one year. Because of these actions, a large portion of the population is already immune to meningitis and this time scientists know what they’re up against.
Considering where the MenB outbreak was first reported, it’s easy to think that the first port of call would be to offer students the jabs. However, students were offered antibiotics, which kill bacteria, says Professor Mark Fielder.
The antibiotics being given to the patients will start killing the meningococcal organisms in the patient (should there be any) within hours. This is why the antibiotics have been given first to attempt to kill any target bacteria present and then this is followed up by the vaccine to help the patient develop an appropriate immune response that will protect them going forward.
Professor Fielder is a virus expert who previously provided expertise and guidance regarding the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak in 2020.
So, could meningitis cause a lockdown?
Experts agree, a lockdown, whether Canterbury-wide or nationwide, is unlikely. People outside of Kent don’t have much to worry about, since the illness spreads through close contact, outbreaks tend to be local. New cases may have no connection to the Canterbury outbreak, as MenB is a family of strains of the germ and can be found all over the UK already.
