A top pharmacist has said there is currently no stock of meningitis B vaccines available for people to buy privately.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, said pharmacies were used to “bridging the gap between what the NHS offers and what patients want”.

He said: “Unfortunately, that supply has run out, and most of our distributors, wholesalers have no stock. And whilst we’re hearing that there may be some stock in the system, it is taking its time to come into our fridges. There’s no date of resupply.

“Overnight, between sort of the hours of 11pm and 6am this morning, I have received over 100 appointments through our booking system in my pharmacies for vaccine we simply don’t have no idea when they will be available.

“We are at the mercy of the manufacturers and the wholesalers to supply our pharmacies, and our patients are worried. They want their children vaccinated.”

He described it as an “impossible situation”.

Health chiefs have confirmed this morning they are coordinating a national response to the meningitis outbreak in Kent.

In a statement, they said this does not mean an NHS national incident has been declared.

“A national incident is a formal operational status used when the health service is under significant system-wide pressure, which is not the case here,” a spokesperson said.

But the UKHSA said it is giving national oversight to the outbreak.

The number of cases of meningitis being investigated by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in Kent has risen to 20, up from 15 previously, the health agency said on Wednesday.

It has now been three days since UK health officials first confirmed a young woman had died following a meningitis outbreak in Kent.

The “explosive” outbreak has now seen 15 cases reported and two deaths.

Here’s everything we know so far:

• Some 15 cases of meningitis have so far been reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), including two deaths

• All 15 cases required hospital admission, with four cases confirmed to be meningitis B

• Four schools across Kent have now confirmed cases and hundreds of people are being offered antibiotics as an immediate treatment

• All cases reported have a link to Kent

• At least one person who fell ill and had links to Kent attended a hospital in London

• A targeted vaccination programme will roll out for students living in halls at the University of Kent in the coming days

A targeted meningitis vaccination programme will be rolled out across student halls in Kent following an outbreak.

Around 5,000 students in university halls in Kent are to be offered the menB vaccine in the coming days.

On Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said most students would not already be vaccinated against menB.

He told MPs that the outbreak is “unprecedented” and is “a rapidly developing situation”.

Mr Streeting said: “Given the severity of the situation, I can confirm to the House that we will begin a targeted vaccination programme for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which will begin in the coming days.”

The programme may also expand further if other groups are deemed to be at risk.

The number of cases of meningitis is expected to rise because the incubation period – the time between infection and when symptoms appear – is two to 14 days.

Around 5,000 students in university halls in Kent are to be offered the meningitis B vaccine in the coming days in the hope of preventing further disease spread in several weeks’ time from people harbouring the infection.

Health officials stressed that people should not skip antibiotics if prescribed them, with a single tablet of Ciprofloxacin reducing the risk of meningitis in a household by around 80% to 90%.

Some 15 cases of meningitis have so far been reported to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

There are five main strains that cause the disease in the UK.

Men B is the most common and also the most deadly. Health officials have said that at least some cases of meningitis seen in Kent have been confirmed as Meningitis B.

Other strains include MenA, MenC, MenW and MenY, which are also caused by bacteria.

There are many different causes of meningitis, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. However, in the UK, viruses and bacteria are the most common causes.

Other causes of meningitis include some medicines or brain tumours. It can also occur following a skull fracture or head and neck surgery, according to Meningitis Now.

Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has urged the NHS to commission pharmacies to provide a catch-up service for teenagers who missed their menACWY vaccine, which protects against four strains of meningococcal bacteria, and called for reforms to the childhood vaccination programme.

NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: “Some pharmacies are already seeing an uptick in patients contacting them to book menACWY and menB vaccinations and we anticipate this demand will continue to grow.”