Kent is experiencing a meningitis outbreak, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue an urgent public health alert.
The alert comes after a 21-year-old university student and Juliette, a sixth former at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham, died. There are currently 20 confirmed and suspected cases.
The UKHSA has begun a vaccination programme targeting about 5,000 students at the University of Kent, following an outbreak thought to have originated at a nightclub in Canterbury.
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. About 2,500 doses of antibiotics have been administered across Kent.
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said the agency is trying to work out why the infection spread so fast in Canterbury. Vaccines held by the government will be used for NHS patients, including students in Kent.
Investigation and Precautions
A case has also been confirmed at Canterbury Christ Church University. Christ Church student Tyra Skinner, 20, contracted meningitis after attending the Club Chemistry nightclub.
Tyra's mother, Candice Skinner, said her daughter initially showed flu-like symptoms before developing a red eye and becoming seriously ill. Tyra is now in a stable condition at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford.
Official Statements
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the outbreak is not national, but the response is being managed nationally. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it is a 'deeply difficult' time for the families of those who have died and who are seriously ill.
According to the BBC, health experts are working to identify close contacts, distribute antibiotics, and begin targeted vaccinations. The University of Kent has started immunisations, with nurses administering vaccines in a sports hall.
