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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dan Haygarth

Meningitis outbreak: Students queue for medication in ‘Covid-esque’ scenes

  • A meningitis outbreak in the Canterbury area of Kent has resulted in the deaths of two individuals, a University of Kent student and a year-13 student from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham.
  • The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed 13 cases of invasive meningococcal disease, with some hospitalised individuals reportedly in induced comas.
  • Students at the University of Kent queued for antibiotics, with many expressing shock and comparing the situation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Antibiotics are being administered to close contacts of confirmed cases, including students from the University of Kent and Simon Langton Grammar School, following guidance from the UKHSA.
  • A Canterbury nightclub, Club Chemistry, has temporarily closed and is assisting the UKHSA in tracing individuals who visited on specific dates to offer precautionary antibiotics.

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