A nine-month-old baby girl is fighting for her life in intensive care with severe meningitis, as an “explosive” outbreak in Kent continues to spread. Nala-Rose Fletcher, from Folkestone, is being treated at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where doctors have warned she will suffer permanent effects from the infection. It remains unclear whether her illness is linked to the wider outbreak.
Her parents, Nick Fletcher and Danielle Trott, have thanked well-wishers after a JustGiving page raised more than £5,000. In an update on 13 March, they said: “Nothing can truly prepare you for the pain and fear that comes with what we’ve been living through… She is still very poorly and remains in intensive care.” They added that Nala will require multiple operations and will be left with lasting difficulties.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is now investigating 20 cases of meningitis among young adults in Kent, up from 15 previously. Two people have died: an unnamed University of Kent student and sixth-form pupil Juliette Kenny from Faversham. Of the 20 cases, nine have been laboratory-confirmed, with six identified as the meningitis B strain.
UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins described the outbreak as “explosive” and “unprecedented”, noting it was the highest number of cases she had seen in a single weekend in 35 years. GPs have been instructed to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5 and 7 March, as well as University of Kent students. Around 5,000 students will be offered a meningitis B vaccine.
UKHSA confirmed that the baby’s case is not currently linked to the outbreak but said it would continue to investigate. Officials are working to identify the source of the infection and prevent further spread.
