Simon Jones
Reporter, BBC South East Today

The queue for vaccinations here at the University of Kent Sports Centre has been 'capped' as the NHS puts it - or closed, in other words.

Anyone arriving now is being told they will need to come back tomorrow. The four vaccination sites (see our earlier post) will be open at the weekend.

Anyone already in the queue should get a jab today, but they may still have a long wait.

There is no shortage of vaccines, but organisers need to calculate how many people they can get through with the supply of staff they have.

Many of those administering the jabs have been drafted in from schools and sexual-health clinics. NHS bosses have praised their heroic efforts.

We're closing our live coverage now, but you can read the latest updates on the outbreak across our website:

• Why is MenB vaccine not given to teenagers in UK and should they be offered it?
• What are the symptoms of meningitis and how is it spread?
• Why has this meningitis outbreak spread so fast?

A University of Kent student says she temporarily lost her sight and was unable to walk after contracting meningitis earlier this month.

Annabelle Mackay, 21, was in Club Chemistry on 5 March, but doesn't know if she contracted meningitis there.

She tells the BBC's Hugh Pym she was there for "less than an hour", and didn't share drinks or vapes. However, she did share drinks at a campus night out the evening before.

Her symptoms started with earache and blocked sinuses on 10 March, and she woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and her muscles and joints "in agony".

When she became sensitive to light and "delirious" later that day, that's when she thought something was "really wrong".

Annabelle called 111, but they told her to stay at home unless things got worse.

"We left the house within a few minutes of the 111 call because I just had this gut instinct that something wasn't right. My housemates helped me down the stairs because I lost the ability to walk", she says.

Her housemates took her to a medical centre in Canterbury, where she was given antibiotics "straightaway".

A lumbar puncture later confirmed she had bacterial meningitis. She says she lost her sight around that time, which was "really scary".

Annabelle started to feel better about four days after treatment, and has since been discharged from hospital. "I think it's just incredibly sad... no-one should have their life at risk by going to a club and socialising," she says.

Phil Harrison
BBC Radio Kent

Jeb Hughes runs a fruit stall in Canterbury High Street.

“It’s noticeably quieter in town due to the outbreak," he says.

"Normally we have all the students down here during their break, but that hasn’t happened this week."

"Many that are here are wearing face masks. It’s usually bustling but not at the moment, which is a shame as the weather is picking up," he adds.

These aerial shots taken a little earlier this afternoon show the size of the queue of students waiting for their turn to be vaccinated and receive antibiotics at the University of Kent campus in Canterbury.

It is one of a number of temporary clinics in the area set up in response to the outbreak.

The government has expanded the list of who qualifies for a MenB vaccine, meaning thousands more people are eligible.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent

This question was sent to us from Ricky, 25, in west Surrey. He is "very worried" about the outbreak but doesn't want to spend money unnecessarily on something being controlled in the local area.

Here's what our health correspondent says:

Honestly Ricky, this is a decision for you and you alone about how you spend your money. The last time I looked, it was about £220 for both doses of a MenB vaccine.

The only people officially recommended to get a vaccine (and antibiotics) are people at Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5-15 March, close contacts of people infected, as well as students at the University of Kent and sixth formers at local schools, because that's where the risk from this outbreak lies.

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent

The next question is from Lynsay, 34, in Brighton, whose family is due to go to Kent for a holiday at a caravan park next weekend.

Here's what our health correspondent says:

Meningitis obviously causes worry. People very rapidly go from being incredibly fit and healthy to fighting for their life.

I was in Canterbury yesterday. The shops are open, tourists are there and Lynsay - it felt very much business as usual. There is no advice that people should avoid having a holiday in Kent.

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent

You sent in your questions for us to answer. This one is from Alex Dutton, aged 16, in Liverpool. Here's what our health correspondent says.

Hi Alex. I don't think you need to worry.

This outbreak of meningitis is not like the Covid pandemic and there is nothing at the moment to suggest it is going to sweep the country.

We may see the odd few cases elsewhere - imagine a university student in Kent was infected and went home. But while this might lead to infections in their house, it is unlikely to cause a larger outbreak.

There are always cases of meningitis though - roughly one a day - that are not part of this outbreak, but they sadly do happen.

NHS Kent and Medway says 4,514 vaccines have been given in Kent as of 14:08 today.

The integrated care system adds that 10,561 antibiotics have also been handed out.

The update comes after health officials in Kent said they had more than 6,000 doses available and an extra 5,000 have been ordered.

Phil Harrison
BBC Radio Kent

Isla Chambers is an A-level student at Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School.

“It’s like Covid again where everyone is socially distancing and not making plans to go out," she says, adding her mother was due to visit from London but has put her plans on hold as a precaution as "she doesn’t want to spread the illness".

“A lot of my friends were worried on Monday when we found out, but that has reduced over the week, as we now know that meningitis is not very transmissible.”

Meanwhile, Toby Nieman, a sixth form student at The King's School in Canterbury, says he was due to travel to London for a birthday party but is now staying away.

"I don’t think it’s a good idea to mix with people. My mum definitely won’t let me," he says.

Toby adds that friends of his have been trying to buy vaccines "and have even been considering flying abroad to get one".

Ivan Galt, a barista at the Burgate Coffee House in Canterbury, says he's seen about a 40% drop in trade due the outbreak.

"Customers seem to be keeping their distance and are reluctant to come inside,” he says.

The MP for Canterbury Rosie Duffield is urging people to support her letter calling for the Meningitis B vaccine to be offered to all students.

"The need for emergency vaccination in Canterbury highlights our broader concern of the ongoing risk that MenB poses to students and young people," says the letter, which was sent to Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Thursday.

Cases in Kent, and before "point to a clear and recurring gap" of "teenagers and young adults who did not receive the jab, and who "remain vulnerable in high-contact environments such as universities", she writes.

"We feel that it is a tragedy that a vaccine exists but is not routinely offered to this group. Prevention is better than cure."

Image source, Rosie Duffield/Instagram

Smitha Mundasad
Health reporter

As we heard earlier, the UK Health Security Agency says its latest testing shows that the vaccine students are being offered in Kent should provide protection against the Meningitis B bacteria thought to be causing the current outbreak.

While the vaccine, called Bexsero, is designed to work against many of the most common Meningitis B strains in England and many that cause severe disease - it doesn’t work against every single strain in the Meningitis B group - which is one of the reasons these initial results are very important.

This should help add extra reassurance for students queuing for the vaccine today.

Further tests on the bacteria will be carried out to see if scientists can pinpoint any clues in its genetics that help explain the speed of spread and the way it is causing people to fall ill.

How effective is the vaccine? The vaccine currently being given to students in Kent has been given routinely to babies in the UK for more than a decade.

In babies who have had three doses, data suggests a 75% reduction in Meningitis B disease - and that protection is likely to last a few years.

Public health officials urge anyone offered the vaccine in Kent to take it to help protect them against the disease and reduce the severity of illness if they do become unwell.

We can now bring you more from Kent's public health chief Dr Anjan Ghosh, who says officials are asking whether the disease is more transmissible than before due to the number of cases over a short period.

"Quite frankly, we don't know the answer to that," he tells PA news agency, describing what's happening as "unprecedented".

"This is highly unusual, and that is going to be looked at, but because right now, our priority is to take care of our residents and keep them safe and make sure there are no other deaths."

Image source, PA Media

Kent County Council's public health director, Professor Dr Anjan Ghosh, says it's too early to tell whether the meningitis outbreak is contained.

"It's looking like it's getting contained, but we can't say for sure," he says, adding: "Only time will tell".

He says normally in outbreaks like the one in Kent the cycle of the disease tends to come to an end in four weeks, meaning they'd have to wait until next week to say for sure.

But, Dr Ghosh notes, secondary transmission is also a concern and although they don't think it's happened "we can't rule it out".

He tells the BBC the most likely scenario is that the outbreak "gets contained in Kent" as the majority of cases are students at the University of Kent.

If infected students have gone home to households outside of Kent, then there might be "sporadic household clusters of cases".

The "worst case scenario" is those clusters being much bigger, or if there was "another superspreader event outside Kent" leading to more infections, but that is "highly unlikely," the public health director adds.

A number of sites have been set up to provide eligible people with vaccines and antibiotics in response to the outbreak. They include:

Sports Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury (vaccines)

• 20 March: 09:00 - 16:30
• 21 March: 09:00 - 16:30
• 22 March: 09:00 - 16:30

The University of Kent, however, warns that the clinic could close early today "due to demand".

Senate Building, University of Kent, Canterbury (antibiotics)

• 20 March: 09:00 - 16:30

Vicarage Lane Clinic, Ashford (antibiotics and vaccines)

• 20 March: 08.30 - 19.30
• 21 March: 09:00 - 16:30
• 22 March: 09:00 - 16:30

Faversham Health Centre, Bank Street, Faversham (antibiotics and vaccines)

• 20 March: 09:00 - 17:00
• 21 March: 09:00 - 17:00

Gate Clinic, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury (antibiotics and vaccines)

• 20 March: 08:30 - 19:30
• 21 March: 09:00 - 16:30
• 22 March: 09:00 - 16:30

James Williams Healthy Living Centre, Pentagon Centre, Chatham (antibiotics only)

• 20 March: 08:30 - 17:30
• 21 March: 08:30 - 17:30
• 22 March: 10:30 - 14:30

The NHS says no booking is needed and asks those attending to bring their NHS number if you have it. Medication cannot be picked up on behalf others.

If you are eligible but have recently left Kent, you can now request a vaccination and antibiotics from your local GP. This covers students who have travelled home.

Young people in Kent are queueing for MenB vaccines and antibiotics as health authorities open multiple clinics in the area to control the outbreak that saw two people die in the early stages.

Officials are encouraging people to come forward after 10,000 potential close-contacts were identified.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

The UKHSA's chief scientific officer tells the BBC's health and science correspondent James Gallagher it is "encouraging" to see the number of new meningitis cases being lower today than in previous days.

Prof Robin May, however, notes that the incubation period for the disease is up to 10 days. He adds that the UKHSA is alert to the possibility of secondary cases, but all current cases are linked to the original outbreak.

Asked about the vaccine, he says protection is not instantaneous: "Like all vaccines, it takes a while".

Two doses should be administered over a period of several weeks, he says. Full protection should be delivered within "about a month".

Also asked whether we're past the worst of the MenB outbreak, May says he's "always very cautious about declaring peaks".

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

The family of a teen who died in a MenB outbreak in Kent is calling for a wider vaccination programme, after the "fit, healthy and strong" 18-year-old died just one day after showing symptoms.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced two new cases this morning. There are now 29 confirmed or probable cases.

Here's what you need to know:

• Vaccine eligibility following outbreak: Vaccines are being offered to anyone who attended Club Chemistry - the nightclub where the outbreak started - as well as Year 12 and 13 pupils at schools with cases. They are also being offered to students and staff at the University of Kent, and close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases
• Are you vaccinated already? The MenB vaccine has been routinely given to babies since 2015, but teens and young adults are not currently offered the jab on the NHS
• Long queues form: People started lining up at vaccination centres early this morning in scenes "reminiscent of Covid". One student who left Kent a few days ago tells the BBC he asked his mother to drive him to a clinic at 04:00 GMT
• Extra doses requested: Kent health officials say they currently have 6,500 vaccine doses available and have requested an additional 5,000. They add that it's too early to tell whether the peak of the outbreak has passed
• NHS response: Health authorities say 2,642 vaccines and 9,896 doses of antibiotics have been handed out so far

Image source, PA Media

Health authorities say 2,642 vaccines have been administered so far, while 9,896 antibiotics have also been given out.

NHS Kent and Medway says it is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Kent County Council and others to respond to the meningitis outbreak.

We now have more from a briefing to reporters on the ongoing meningitis outbreak.

Quoted by PA news agency, the director of public health at Kent County Council, Dr Anjan Ghosh, says health officials believe they may see "some sporadic household cases outside of Kent".

Simon Jones
Reporting from the University of Kent

I've just been at a briefing with health officials in Kent where we've learnt some new figures.

More than 2,500 people have already received the vaccine, 6,500 doses are available, and another 5,000 have been requested.

Kent County Council's director of public health, Anjan Ghosh, said it was too early to know whether we had passed the peak of the outbreak, and we could be seeing cases through to next week.

Some 10,000 people have been contacted as possible close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases.

He praised teams on the ground who had been "working tirelessly", describing their response as incredible.