The number of cases linked to the meningitis outbreak in Kent has risen to 34, up from 29 previously, as hundreds of students queued for a third day to get vaccinated. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 23 confirmed cases and a further 11 under investigation in its Saturday update.
More than 500 people, mostly students, lined up outside the University of Kent campus clinic for meningitis B jabs on Saturday morning. The Canterbury site opened at 9am, with some arriving as early as 5am. The queue moved faster than previous days, with those arriving at opening time completing the process within 75 minutes, compared to four-hour waits on Friday.
NHS Kent and Medway rotated staff to focus on sites with the longest wait times. A spokesperson said teams had been working overtime and into evenings to deliver clinics as quickly as possible. By Saturday afternoon, 7,060 vaccines had been administered and 11,662 antibiotic courses handed out across six clinics in the county.
Two students have died in the outbreak: 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, described by her family as 'fit, healthy and strong', and a University of Kent student. Students emphasised the importance of vaccination. Maria, 22, a drama student, said: 'I think it’s important to make sure we protect ourselves because obviously there’s been some deaths and people in hospital.' Bradley, 20, added: 'I’m just getting the vaccine, getting it done. Trying to protect myself and people around me.'
Dr Ben Rush, UKHSA consultant, said: 'We continue to remain vigilant for new cases... It’s vital that people are aware of the signs and symptoms and seek immediate medical attention.' Dr Anjan Ghosh, Kent County Council’s director of public health, warned that 'small household, sporadic clusters' could appear elsewhere as students incubate the bug, but stressed these would be 'containable' and the risk to the wider population remains low.
