Hundreds of students at the University of Kent queued for antibiotics on Monday after a meningitis outbreak linked to a nightclub in Canterbury left two people dead, including a university student and a sixth-former. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has advised anyone with symptoms to seek emergency medical care.
Students described fear and panic spreading through the community as the term ends. Many fled in the night, with concerned parents picking them up. Aram, a 22-year-old criminology and politics student living in Tyler Court, said: 'A lot of my flatmates already left. Their parents picked them up at like one in the morning.' He added that people were running down stairs with TVs and belongings.
Joe Bradshaw, 23, realised on Monday that he had been linked to the outbreak after a night out at Club Chemistry nine days earlier. He said: 'I'm less concerned about my own health than spreading [the infection] to other vulnerable people. My mum's just come out of surgery.'
The university moved all in-person exams online as authorities sought to control the situation. Ben Tostevin, a drama student, said he was surprised the campus remained open but supported the institutional response. His friend Sofia Malanga noted that social media posts, including videos of people in hazmat suits, exacerbated fear.
The outbreak has affected the university and three schools in the area. One victim was a year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth's grammar school, named Juliette. Classmate Sammy Wright described her as a 'bright character, always very happy, kind'.
