A meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent and three schools has resulted in two deaths and 11 hospitalisations, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Monday. The victims include a University of Kent student and a sixth-form student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) in Faversham, identified by teachers as Juliette.
Two other schools, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury and Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, each have a year 13 student in hospital with meningitis. The UKHSA reported 13 cases since March 13, with the specific strain yet to be identified.
Long queues formed at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus on Monday as students awaited antibiotics, many contacted directly by the UKHSA due to potential exposure. The university moved all assessments online for the week, affecting about 1,700 students, but the campus remains open.
Juliette’s headteacher, Amelia McIlroy, described her as “incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent,” adding that her “beautiful smile, loving nature and sense of fun will be hugely missed.” Her father told the BBC the family were “beyond devastated.”
Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately called the outbreak “a huge shock” and said she had spoken to Health Secretary Wes Streeting for urgent guidance. The UKHSA continues to investigate, with some students receiving antibiotics and others hospitalised.
