Meningitis has claimed the lives of two students in Kent with the number of confirmed cases rising to 15. Authorities have declared it a national incident and say it’s ‘unprecedented’
Brits are racing to get meningitis jabs following the deadly Kent outbreak as the number of confirmed cases rose to 15.
The bug has claimed the lives of two students, including Juliette Kenny, 18, and left 12 people seriously ill in what has been declared a national incident. The youngest victim is nine-month-old Nala-Rose Fletcher, of Folkestone, Kent, who is being treated in intensive care at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Her condition is stable, but her family revealed she faces forthcoming surgeries that will be “life-changing” for her. It is believed that Nala-Rose, who is vaccinated, fell ill on March 4 – just days before a cluster of cases surfaced in Canterbury.
However, her parents, Danielle Trott and Nick Fletcher, state they had not been in the city prior to their daughter’s illness, and are still awaiting information on what strain she has contracted.
The outbreak has reached France with authorities there alerting the UK Health Security Agency to a case of a person who attended the University of Kent.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Tuesday (March 17) that the outbreak was “unprecedented” and warned youngsters to take care. He said: “The bacteria is passed to others after a long period of close contact, for example living with someone in shared accommodation, through prolonged kissing or sharing vapes and drinks.”
He added that a “targeted” Meningitis B vaccination programme would begin for students in Kent University’s halls of residence in days.
Meanwhile stocks of private jabs are running low after demand surged. Superdrug said bookings for its service had soared by 65 times in a week. Officials believe the outbreak started at student night spot Club Chemistry in Canterbury. Mr Streeting begged folk not to dismiss symptoms – including headaches, vomiting, a stiff neck and muscle pain – as “a hangover”.
Kent Universirty staff and students queued for antibiotics on campus on Tuesday. Student Isabel Kenny said she was “really anxious,” adding: “I’m nervous I’ll see that more people have gone to hospital.”
Experts say that babies, teens, the elderly, smokers and those living with existing illnesses are most vulnerable. Prof Paul Hunter, an infectious disease specialist at the University of East Anglia, added: “People who are suffering respiratory viruses are at an increased risk of bacterial infections.
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