Chemists flooded with parents begging for ‘out of stock’ meningitis B vaccine

The waiting list for the most sought after meningitis B vaccine is stretching into the hundreds after a deadly outbreak of the infection killed two.

Health officials are battling to contain the outbreak of meningitis in Canterbury, Kent, with thousands given preventative antibiotics to prevent the deadly infection that has left two dead.

The outbreak has been declared a national incident and the number of cases is expected to rise as symptoms take between two and 14 days to develop.

But private supplies of meningitis B vaccines have already run out, according to the National Pharmacy Association.

A well-known London chemist has told Metro its phone has been ringing off the hook since yesterday with people desperately asking if the meningitis B jab is available.

The North West London chemist Landys, one of the biggest pharmacies in the country, said: ‘Our phone has not stopped with worried people who are also coming into the chemist to ask if we stock the vaccine.

‘At the moment we are not giving it out as the vaccine is currently out of stock from all the wholesalers but we are working on it,’ explained chemist Panasha Desai.

With panicked families worried about their children, the chemist said they are working hard to try and get hold of it.

‘We can only do it privately and I actually think the government should introduce legislation to allow pharmacies to administer under the NHS to the at-risk groups as we can administer a lot more in a shorter space of time.

‘We are open longer hours and most days so people can walk in to us.’

With the meningitis B jab routinely offered to babies since 2015, it is the UK’s current generation of older teenagers and university students who don’t have it, since the shot was not available when they were born.

‘Unfortunately, we normally carry a lot of the vaccine as we are one of the chemists that keep the biggest stocks but we have had a run out of it and I presume it’s because the wholesalers have been advised to give direct stocks to the NHS, although I can’t be sure.’

Another pharmacist who has been inundated with messages from concerned parents called for calm.

‘People really do not need to be panicking,’ explained Thorrun Govind, a practicing pharmacist, healthcare lawyer and Former Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in England.

‘Right now we are in the heat of the storm but people need to understand meningitis is not as contagious as Covid was.

‘At present vaccines need to go to the people that need them the most and that is those who have been in close contact with people with meningitis. And you can’t just rock up to the chemist and ask for antibiotics as they need to be properly distributed on a doctor’s advice.’

Another chemist in Canterbury situated just two miles from the University of Kent has had ‘hundreds of worried people’ calling up to ask about the vaccine availability.

According to Dhvani Patel, who works at the KPGP services practice, they had already decided today to open up a vaccination clinic, but have now been unable to obtain the medication.

‘We thought we could start to help people as we have had so many panicked calls from local people in the area who are all really affected but have come up against a problem in getting hold of the vaccine.

‘It seems that the NHS will only roll it out in the hospital, which is a shame as we are set up and ready to go.

‘We have over 100 people who have already put their names down on our waiting list because they are simply terrified.

‘Their kids go to local schools in the area so it is understandable that they want them vaccinated and are happy to pay for it privately.’

Meanwhile, one of the world’s leading infectious disease specialists has advised against people sharing vapes in a bid to stop the disease from spreading.

‘I remember the fear of Meningitis as a kid and the advice to be careful about kissing at parties – since the bacteria is spread from saliva. So I think the advice would be the same right now,’ explained Professor Jake Baum, Professor of Infectious Disease, UNSW Sydney.

‘As in any situation where an infectious disease is spreading, it can’t hurt to be cautious. If sharing a vape between friends, just like a glass or piece of cutlery, increases the chances of passing saliva, then it would be sensible to not share at all.

‘It makes sense to be extra vigilant. As we all learned in COVID, it’s worthwhile being over-cautious at the moment.’

One private GP service based out of London’s Wellington Diagnostic Centre has spoken of receiving ‘hundreds of calls from patients worried about the meningitis situation.’

According to Dr Abelman, the medical director of JDOC365, over 200 patients have asked to put their names down on a waiting list for the MenB vaccination.

However, he is remaining cautious at not getting their hopes up high, believing the vaccination will not be available soon at his practice.

‘It’s understandably a very worrying time for parents and kids,’ he explained.

‘Meningitis used to effect younger children but this strain has affected older teens so I can see why people are concerned.

‘We need to try and think calmly though as unlike with Covid when there was no vaccine to begin with, the MenB vaccine has been rolled out so more people are obviously protected from it than they were to Covid.’

However, he is aware that not everyone who was offered the MenB vaccine may not have taken it up.

‘It’s vital to follow NHS guidelines about vaccinating your children and whilst we are not currently offering the MenB as yet because we can’t get hold of it, I’d recommend anyone not up to date with other vaccines should have them done.

‘We saw what happened with the measles outbreak when some people didn’t get protected from it.

‘Our main priority is keeping our patients safe and well looked after.’

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