Closing the MenB protection gap: taking the case to Westminster

Last week, we spoke out about the urgent need for better protection for teenagers and young adults against MenB. We were joined by the family of 18‑year‑old Juliette Kenny, who tragically lost her life in the recent MenB outbreak in Kent.

Her father, Mike, told us: “Juliette’s impact on this world must be lasting change. Now is the time to ensure families are safe from the impact of meningitis B.”

We made sure Juliette’s story reached audiences across the UK media – and now we’re taking it to Parliament.

Meeting MPs and their teams to talk about the MenB protection gap

Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury (the town at the centre of this outbreak), hosted a drop-in session in the Palace of Westminster, where we met MPs and their teams to explain the MenB protection gap and why the Kent outbreak must lead to change.

Drop‑ins are an effective way for organisations to brief multiple Parliamentarians in one place, and this session came at a crucial moment.

Kent MenB outbreak: the next step

The recent MenB outbreak in Kent has caused deep worry for families, students and communities. It has also drawn national attention to a wider problem: MenB now causes the majority of invasive meningococcal disease in people aged 25 and under in England.

Yet teenagers and young adults still cannot routinely access NHS MenB vaccination. With the spotlight on the importance of protection, this was the right moment to present clear evidence and set out the scale of the issue.

The change we want to see

To close the MenB protection gap, we are calling for:

• Expanding routine NHS access to MenB vaccination for teenagers and young adults.
• Ensuring the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) review announced by Wes Streeting (the UK’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) is timely, transparent, reflects the full impact of MenB and the full value of protection.
• Sustained public awareness activity, so people understand the signs and symptoms of meningitis, the vaccines available to them and when to seek urgent help.

What MPs wanted to know

Despite short notice and the upcoming Easter recess, we spoke to ten MPs. They asked about:

• The severity and long‑term impact of meningitis.
• Who can currently receive the MenB vaccine.
• Why it is not routinely offered to teenagers.
• What needs to happen next.

There was strong interest in the ongoing JCVI review and in how Parliament can help maintain momentum.

What happens next

The Kent outbreak has had a devastating impact. What happens next must ensure it is not repeated elsewhere.

We will keep speaking to MPs and decision‑makers, sharing evidence, providing briefings and encouraging Parliamentarians to ask the questions that keep this issue firmly on the agenda.

We won’t stop until the protection gap is closed.

With thanks to Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury, who hosted this drop-in session, and to fellow UK meningitis charity, Meningitis Now, who worked with us on it.