Britons have been urged to act immediately while authorities race to get the disease under control.
Britain may face a medicine shortage as a result of the Iran crisis – just as it races to contain a deadly meningitis outbreak in Kent.
Two people have died in the South East after an “invasive” spread of the disease, with 13 cases notified since March 13.
A Year 13 pupil in Faversham and a student at the University of Kent have died – while a further two are reported to be in a coma.
But now, pharmacists have raised fears that chaos in the Middle East could spark a shortage.
Britain may face a medicine shortage as a result of the Iran crisis – just as it races to contain a deadly meningitis outbreak in Kent.
Two people have died in the South East after an “invasive” spread of the disease, with 13 cases notified since March 13.
A Year 13 pupil in Faversham and a student at the University of Kent have died – while a further two are reported to be in a coma.
But now, pharmacists have raised fears that chaos in the Middle East could spark a shortage.
Symptoms of meningitis include a high fever, a rash that won’t go away, vomiting and feeling incredibly tired, she said.
“If anyone has these symptoms, they’ve got to act on it immediately – because meningitis can really spread very quickly and cause a lot of damage and death,” Dr Hannbeck added.
Health authorities back in Britain have put out a targeted alert to anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury on March 5, 6 or 7.
The nightclub’s owner revealed last night that more than 2,000 people would have visited the venue over the three dates listed.
Two sites in Kent were open for the public to collect antibiotics on Monday, while a further two are set to open on Tuesday morning.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The vast majority of the UK’s licensed medicines are in good supply, and to make sure this remains the case, we are investing more in the domestic medicine manufacturing industry.
“We’re strengthening the resilience of our medicine supply by offering financial incentives for the manufacturing of more medicines – and have well-established processes in place to mitigate risks, including using alternative medicines when available.
“We are also actively engaging with partner countries to bolster supply chains – protecting NHS services and patients.”
