Travel warning: meningococcal disease reported in UKDr Montien Kanasawat, director-general of the Department of Disease Control. (Photo: กรมควบคุมโรค กระทรวงสาธารณสุข)The Department of Disease Control has warned Thais travelling to the UK that an outbreak of meningococcal disease, a rare and severe bacterial infection, has been reported in students at schools and universities in England. As of Wednesday, about 20 cases had been identified, including nine laboratory-confirmed infections, with at least two fatalities reported, Dr Montien said. People planning travel to the UK and parts of Europe should consider getting a meningococcal vaccination at least 10 days prior to departure, especially children, adolescents, immunocompromised individuals and frequent international travellers. In Thailand there have been five known cases of meningococcal disease from Jan 1 to March 17, with three deaths.

Source: Bangkok Post March 22, 2026 11:07 UTC