Kent university students offered meningitis vaccine amid ‘unprecedented’ outbreak – UK politics live

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Streeting backs Lib Dems in condemning anti-vaccine 'political postioning' by some MPs, in jibe at Reform UK

Alison Bennett, the Lib Dem health spokesperson, asked Streeting if he agreed that “all politicians and all political parties have a moral duty to support science over conspiracy theories”.

In comments that seemed to be aimed at Reform UK, she said “it is deeply regrettable that certain parties have not been responsible in this respect in recent months”.

Streeting agreed. He said it was “wonderful” to live in an age when vaccines protected people from diseases that were regular killers in the past. He went on:

There is also a real risk of return to those Victorian conditions because of that misinformation, anti-science, irresponsible political positioning, that we see in certain corners of even this house.

So I really hope that politicians in particular will think carefully and responsibly about our shared duty to the public to help people be protected.

In response to questions from Stuart Andrew, his Tory shadow, Streeting told MPs that two schools whose pupils were at risk of being affected by the outbreak, Simon Langton grammar school in Canterbury and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, were contacted first thing on Monday. He said that the government would “look carefully” at whether they should have been contacted earlier.

Streeting says JCVI being asked to consider case for older children to be given MenB vaccine

As for wider cohorts, Streeting said he had asked the Joint Comittee on Vaccination and Immunisation “to re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines”.

He said he was doing this “without prejudicing their decision”.

Streeting says Kent students being offered MenB vaccine in response to meningitis outbreak

Streeting said the vaccine against MenB has only been available on the NHS since 2015. That means students in Kent will not have been covered.

He went on:

Given the severity of the situation, I can confirm to the House that we will begin a targeted vaccination programme for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which will begin in the coming days.

Streeting sets out health advice for anyone at risk from current outbreak

Streeting said MenB was uncommon, but “a serious and potentially lethal strain of meningococcal disease”.

He went on:

The onset of illness is often sudden, and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital. It doesn’t spread very easily. The bacteria is passed to others after a long period of close contact, for example living with someone in shared accommodation, through prolonged kissing or sharing vapes and drinks.

However, the symptoms are also easily mistaken for other common conditions, even for something like a hangover.

Streeting went on to set out the current health advice.

Anyone who attended Club Chemistry on 5, 6 or 7 March, and anyone who believes they were in close contact with someone who’s confirmed or suspected to have meningitis, should attend a treatment centre and receive antibiotics.

There are four centres open in Canterbury today, with 11,000 doses available on site.

Details about the location of these centres are available on the UKHSA website, and are being promoted by the UKHSA … There is no need to book an appointment.

A single course of antibiotics is highly effective in preventing the contraction and spread of this disease in 90% of cases.

If you become worried about yourself, your child, or a friend, particularly if symptoms are getting worse, please seek medical help urgently. Anyone with symptoms should call NHS 111 or, in an emergency, dial 999 to seek medical attention.

Streeting said he's confident UKHSA 'acted as quickly and comprehensively as possible' in response to outbreak

Streeting said UKHSA activated a full-scale response on Sunday, when the full scale of the outbreak was recognised.

Antibiotics were issued and by 6pm on Sunday a public health alert had been issued.

Streeting said he was confident UKHSA “acted as quickly and as comprehensively as possible”.

Streeting said on Saturday evening hospitals reported that several young people were presenting with symptoms suggestive of meningococcal disease.

All those traced were offered precautionary antibiotics, he said. So far, 700 doses have been administered.

Streeting said UKHSA was notified about the first case on Friday 13 March. It began tracing close contacts of the patient’s.

On Saturday UKHSA was in touch with the University of Kent to ensure they had the necessary support.

And on Saturday it was contacted by the French authorities, who “alerted UKHSA to a second confirmed case in France from an individual who had attended the University of Kent”.

Streeting says meningitis outbreak 'unprecedented', with 2 deaths, 4 cases confirmed and 11 under investigation

Wes Streeting starts his statement by saying his thoughts are with the families of the two young people who have died.

He says, given the sensitivity of this issue, it is important to stick to the facts.

He says this is “an unprecedented outbreak”.

He says, as of 9.30am this morning, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed four cases of group B meningococcal disease (which is known as MenB). And 11 cases are under investigation, he says.

He goes on:

The two deaths are associated with this cluster. The majority of cases linked back to the Club Chemistry nightclub over the dates of 5, 6 and 7 March and their associated networks. Club chemistry is currently closed voluntarily.

Streeting says these figures will be updated by UKHSA every morning at 9.30am.

Streeting to make statement to MPs about meningitis outbreak

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is about to make a statement to MPs about the meningitis outbreak.

Here is a Q&A on this by Nicola Davis published yesterday.

And here is our latest story, by Matthew Weaver.

After the Streeting statement, Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, will make a statement about the Middle East. And then Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, will make one about youth employment, covering the plans announced yesterday.

Farage say king's visit to US 'absolutely must go ahead'

Q: Do you think the king’s visit to the US should still go ahead?

Farage replied:

There are considerable tensions between the American president and the British prime minister, that is true. And they appear to be worsening, frankly, by the day. I would say that makes the king’s visit even more imperative.

And later he said “the king’s visit absolutely must go ahead”.

Q: [From the Sun] The amount of rubbish on the streets in London is “disgusting” and “feral”. What are you going to do about that?

Farage says he is going to ask all 450 branches of Reform UK to organise litter-picking days in their local communities. He says some branches have already done this, wearing Reform UK tabards. He claims he was planning to announce this later, but says he is mentioning it now in response to the question.

Q: Can you guarantee that, under a Reform UK government, pensions who only get the state pension won’t pay income tax?

Farage says Robert Jenrick, the Treasury spokesperson, will make an announcement about pensions policy soon, which will also cover the pensions triple lock.

Q: Do you agree with Rachel Reeves that we need closer alignment with the EU to increase growth?

Farage choked, or pretented to choke, as if they idea that he might think this was preposterous. He went on:

The world has changed. Quite how you help the British economy by aligning more closely with a group of other economies, some of whom are doing even worse than we are, I just don’t know.

Q: Do you think Donald Trump made a mistake by not anticipating that Iran might close the strait of Hormuz?

Farage said he did not know what the US intelligence assessment was.

But he said that he thought Trump launched the attack because he genuinely believed the Iranians were on the verge of obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Farage claims Starmer has made 'big strategic mistake' by not backing US over Iran

In response to another question about Donald Trump and the way, Farage claimed that UK foreign policy was “now being being governed by domestic concerns about a growing number of people with radical Islamic views who’ve actually been out bemoaning the death of the ayatollah”.

This is a claim the Conservatives have also been making.

Farage also claimed that not supporting the US in the war was a “big strategic mistake” by Keir Starmer. He repeated his point about how the UK could have backed the US without having to join the bombing missions.

Farage claims there is now 'no chance' of US agreeing Chagos Islands deal in light of Iran war developments

Q: Is what Trump is doing in Iran right or wrong?

Farage said that, in the light of the UK’s response to President Trump’s war, there was now “absolutely no chance now of the Americans agreeing to the Chagos handover”, because Mauritius said they would not approve of Diego Garcia being used as a base for an attack on Iran.

He said he would have “aided and assisted the Americans from day one” in the war against Iran.

But that was not the same as the UK joining in those attacks, he said. He said Britain did not have the capacity to help in a significant way.

Farage said Reform UK would impose 'very, very tough' benefit cuts to help fund higher defence spending

Q: [Forster’s second question] How will you find extra money for defence spending?

Farage said that Reform UK would save money by cutting net zero policies. But he went on:

But look, the brutal truth is that we just can’t go on with the benefits bill. Over £300bn. And that is going to involve some very, very tough choices.

And there will be people that don’t like what needs to be done. But I’m afraid it has to be done and we will have the courage to face up to that, however loud some of the screams may be.

Farage defends Tice's tax avoidance scheme, rejecting claims it flouts Reform UK 'stop offshore taxpayer rip off' pledge

At the Reform UK event they are now taking questions. Farage says he will take most of them himself.

Q: [From Katherine Forster from GB News] In your 2024 manifesto you said you would “stop the offshore taxpayer rip off”. How does that square with Richard Tice using offshore arrangments to minimise his tax bill?

Farage says that manifesto commitment referred to companies operating in the care home sector.

But he defends Tice. He says:

I want to be clear about this on tax. Richard Tice has obeyed the law. He’s filed his accounts on time. He’s obeyed the law in every way, and no one pays more tax than they have to. You don’t I don’t. No one does.

He claims criticism of Tice is unfair, and comes from people who do not undertand how businesses operate.