As of 15 May 2026, three cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) have been reported among young people in Reading, southeast England, including one case of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB). One person, a student at Henley College in Oxfordshire, has died, while the two remaining cases are receiving treatment. Antibiotic prophylaxis is being offered to close contacts. These cases follow a MenB outbreak confirmed in Kent in March 2026 and a MenB cluster reported in Dorset in April 2026, with no known epidemiological link between the two events.
The risk for travellers up to date with meningitis vaccination visiting Reading is considered to be low.
Travellers visiting the UK should seek immediate medical care in case of early symptoms, and be up to date with vaccinations according to national guidelines; for Switzerland see LINK (catch-up vaccines against IMD are recommended up to 20th birthday regardless of travel!). Of note, in Switzerland, meningococcal vaccination is not reimbursed by basic health insurance after the age of 20 if not belonging to a risk group for IMD.
Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of meningitis in returning travellers and include travel history in their assessment of IMD cases, particularly in relation to trips to England.