What began as an evening out at a nightclub in Kent has rapidly spiralled into a "super-spreader" event that has left doctors stunned and two young people dead. This surge in Meningitis B cases has triggered a public health alert, leaving the UK scrambling as private vaccine supplies run dry. So how can the authorities contain this unprecedented outbreak?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times.
Professor Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, the University of East Anglia.
Niamh Curran, reporter, The Times Enterprise Network.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Julia Webster, Callum Martin, Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:

Meningitis B outbreak: six cases after Kent superspreader event.

Meningitis started with a headache. Then the blinding pain began.

What causes meningitis? Symptoms and how the infection spreads.

Further listening: Inside the world of "Looksmaxxing"

Clips: Sky

Photo: Denise Kelly, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kent's meningitis outbreak - how it exploded, can it be stopped?

The Story