Public health alert issued over deadly meningitis outbreak as case confirmed at second university
An urgent public health alert has been issued across England over a deadly meningitis outbreak which has now spread to two universities in Kent.
Listen to this article
More than 6,500 students have now been given emergency antibiotics as a meningitis outbreak rages among Kent universities.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the alert after warning the “explosive nature” of the outbreak is unprecedented.
Health workers across England have been urged to watch for signs of infection after two people were confirmed dead from the disease, with 20 cases currently identified in total.
Five further cases were identified on Wednesday following the initial outbreak, with the spread has now been declared a national incident.
Authorities believe the deadly outbreak first exploded at Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury.
According to the latest available figures, England recorded a total of 378 cases between July 2024 and June 2025 by comparison.
Thousands of students have since been given emergency antibiotics and a vaccination programme targeting students at the University of Kent has begun.
In an update to its Meningitis B vaccination programme, the university also confirmed that 600 jabs had been given out to its students in one day.
The update added: "Students will need to return for a second dose in a minimum of four weeks' time".
"At the moment, the vaccine is only for University of Kent students living in accommodation on the Canterbury campus," the statement reads.
UKHSA Professor Robin May, the chief scientific adviser of UKHSA, said the number of confirmed cases is still likely to rise.
It comes as a second university in Canterbury confirmed that a student had contracted the illness.
Canterbury-Christ Church Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Rama Thirunamachandran said: "The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now confirmed one case of meningococcal disease involving a CCCU student.
"We have reached out to support the individual directly. This case is linked to the initial cluster associated with Club Chemistry. We continue to work with UKHSA, public health clinicians and other partners on the appropriate response."
It comes as authorities face a race against time to vaccinate around 5,000 students in Kent University halls before the deadly strain of Meningitis B spreads further.
A source at GlaxoSmithKline, a major manufacturer of the Meningitis B vaccine, has told LBC the government has "not yet fully established" its proposals on the distribution of the vaccine - four days on from confirmation of the outbreak.
GPs across the country will be advised to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between March 5-7, the UKHSA confirmed on Wednesday.
Pharmacies are being "inundated" with requests and websites are crashing due to demand for the Meningitis B vaccine.
Some pharmacy staff have also reported "abuse and intimidation" from a number of patients, according to the Chair of the National Pharmacy Association - who described this behaviour as "absolutely unacceptable".
Tributes have flooded in for A-level student Juliette, whose parents requested that her surname not be reported, after she was confirmed to be one of those who died.
The 18-year-old pupil at a Faversham grammar school was described as "happy and caring" by her bereaved parents.
A 21-year-old student from the University of Kent was also killed by the disease but has not yet been publicly identified.
A number of those who have fallen ill have been placed into medically induced comas, LBC understands.
Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google