B2 – Upper Intermediate
Kent is experiencing a rapid meningitis outbreak, with 20 cases reported, including six MenB infections. Most cases involve university students linked to social events, and experts describe it as the fastest-growing outbreak they’ve seen.
The UK Health Security Agency is responding with antibiotics for close contacts and vaccinating 5,000 students, urging anyone exposed at early March events to seek treatment to prevent further spread.
Read the article and know more about the situation.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the adjective “unprecedented” mean? “It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented here – the number of cases in such a short space of time.” Use this in a sentence.
- What does “super-spreader event” mean? “This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residence in the universities.” Use this in a sentence.
- What does “to stand something up” mean here, “We are being so proactive in the provision of antibiotics, because they’re an effective treatment, but also standing up vaccination at a pace and in a way that we wouldn’t normally do.”? Use this in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- Why is prompt treatment with antibiotics important in meningitis cases?
- Do you think universities should cancel large or all social events during outbreaks? Why or why not?
- If you were in charge of the response, what other measures might you take to control the outbreak?
- Do you think news coverage of outbreaks help or do they only cause unnecessary panic? Share your insights.
- If a similar outbreak happened in your city, how would you personally respond?