Free meningitis vaccinations are available to Cayman students returning to the islands for the Easter break.
The Public Health Department will hold a vaccination clinic this weekend in the wake of an outbreak of the disease in Kent in the UK, where 23 young people, mostly students, were infected. Two died.
A total of 20 Cayman students attend the affected universities, the University of Kent, in Canterbury, and Canterbury Christ Church University.
The department said, “Public Health is encouraging returning students to take advantage of this free clinic and get vaccinated. Vaccination continues to be the best form of prevention against meningitis.”
Smith Road Medical Centre
The vaccines will be administered at the public health clinic on the second floor of the Smith Road Medical Centre in George Town between 9am and 1pm on Saturday, 28 March.
The department added that the national vaccination schedule recommended that students intending to study abroad should get two separate meningococcal vaccines to protect against a variety of strains of the disease.
But it said, “However, some students may not have received these vaccinations because they were not required at their college.”
The department said that anyone taking advantage of the free jabs should bring their immunisation records if they had them.
Health officials emphasised the Saturday session was for students returning for their spring break and who were unvaccinated against meningitis.
They said, “Students starting university for the first time this summer will be accommodated at a different clinic in June 2026.”
Nightclub infection source
The majority of those infected in Kent had been at Club Chemistry, a Canterbury nightclub, in the first week of March and the average age of those who contracted meningitis was 19.
Mark Fielder, professor of medical microbiology at London’s Kingston University, said in a report on the incident that the strain involved was part of a recognised ‘family’ of bacteria, but genetically slightly different from its known relatives.
Fielder said, “The outbreak is currently classified at its lowest active level – with known cases directly linked to one another, all in Kent, with no sign of a wider spread across the country.”
But he added, “However, officials consider it likely that a few cases connected to the cluster, but outside Kent, will emerge in the coming weeks, as some of those who attended Club Chemistry may have returned to other parts of the country.”
Fielder said the chance of this outbreak spreading nationwide is currently considered remote.
“But officials are urging increased vigilance.”
Cayman public health officials said any residents who had returned from the UK and felt ill should seek immediate medical attention if they showed symptoms of meningitis.
These include a fever, with temperatures of higher than 38°C (101°F), severe headache, vomiting, a stiff neck and rapid breathing.
Other potential danger signs are sensitivity to light, a rash, at first appearing as small red pinpricks and changing to red or purple blotches, confusion, unusual drowsiness or difficulty waking up and joint and muscle pain.
For more information, contact the Public Health Department at 244-2889 or 244-2621.
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