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Kent's meningitis outbreak - how it exploded, can it be stopped? episode artwork

Mar 19, 2026 30 min

Kent's meningitis outbreak - how it exploded, can it be stopped?

from The Story

What began as an evening out at a nightclub in Kent has rapidly spiralled into a "super-spreader" event that has left doctors stunned and two young people dead. This surge in Meningitis B cases has triggered a public health alert, leaving the UK scrambling as private vaccine supplies run dry. So how can the authorities contain this unprecedented outbreak? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times. Professor Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, the University of East Anglia. Niamh Curran, reporter, The Times Enterprise Network. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Julia Webster, Callum Martin, Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] Read more: Meningitis B outbreak: six cases after Kent superspreader event. Meningitis started with a headache. Then the blinding pain began. What causes meningitis? Symptoms and how the infection spreads. Further listening: Inside the world of "Looksmaxxing" Clips: Sky Photo: Denise Kelly, Getty Images.

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Kent's meningitis outbreak - how it exploded, can it be stopped?

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