Health agency names two schools affected by Berkshire meningitis outbreak
Summary
Two schools in Berkshire, Reading Blue Coat and Highdown, have students receiving treatment for meningitis after an outbreak. A student from Henley college in Oxfordshire died from the infection, and antibiotics were given to close contacts as a precaution.Key Facts
- The UK Health Security Agency named the two Berkshire schools linked to the meningitis cases.
- A student at Henley college in Oxfordshire died due to meningitis.
- Close contacts of the infected students were given antibiotics to prevent further spread.
- Meningitis spreads through very close contact and the overall risk to the general public is low.
- The strain causing the outbreak in Berkshire is different from a recent outbreak in Kent.
- About 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease occur yearly in England, mostly affecting babies, children, and young adults.
- Symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold hands and feet.
- The MenB vaccine has been part of routine childhood vaccination in the UK since 2015.
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