A meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent and three schools has resulted in the deaths of two young people and left 11 others in hospital, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Monday.
The deceased include a student at the University of Kent and a sixth-former at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) in Faversham, named Juliette. Two other schools, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury and Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, reported a year 13 student hospitalised with meningitis.
The UKHSA said 13 cases have been notified since March 13. Long queues formed at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus as students awaited antibiotics, with teaching finished and exams moved online for about 1,700 students. A spokesperson said the campus remains open and described the situation as not akin to a Covid lockdown.
Juliette was remembered by her headteacher as a kind, intelligent and much-loved member of the school community. Her father told the BBC the family were “beyond devastated”. Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately expressed shock and said she had spoken to the Health Secretary for urgent guidance.
