Kent has been hit by a deadly meningitis outbreak, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue an urgent public health alert.
The alert comes as a vaccination programme targeting about 5,000 students began at the University of Kent, following an outbreak thought to have originated at a nightclub in Canterbury.
According to the UKHSA, two people have died, and the number of confirmed and suspected cases now stands at 20.
Police and Health Response
GPs across the country have been told to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited the nightclub from 5 to 7 March, plus students from the University of Kent.
The UKHSA said about 2,500 doses of antibiotics had been administered across Kent, with health workers urged to look out for signs of infection.
Investigation and Timeline
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins told the BBC that it was trying to work out why the infection had spread so fast in Canterbury.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the outbreak was not national, but the response was being managed nationally, with at least 350 cases of meningitis a year.
Response From Authorities
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was a deeply difficult time for the families of those who had died and who were seriously ill, with health experts working to identify close contacts, distribute antibiotics and begin targeted vaccinations.
Vice-chancellor and principal of Canterbury Christ Church University, Prof Rama Thirunamachandran, said the UKHSA had confirmed a case of meningococcal disease involving a student, with the campus remaining open and core teaching, learning and research activities continuing.
