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Public health alert as meningitis cases rise in Britain

2026-03-18 21:16:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Public health alert as meningitis cases rise in Britain

An urgent public health alert has been issued following a deadly outbreak of meningitis in Kent, with health workers across England being urged to be vigilant for signs of infection. The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) issued the alert as a vaccination programme targeting around 5,000 students began at the University of Kent, following an outbreak thought to have originated at a nightclub in Canterbury.

A 21-year-old university student and Juliette, a sixth-year student at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Faversham, have died, with the number of confirmed and suspected cases now at 20. The UKHSA alert is unusual but has been used in recent years for MPox and other public health issues.

UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins told the BBC she was trying to understand why the infection had spread so quickly in Canterbury. She said the government-held vaccines would be used for NHS patients, including students in Kent, but would not rule out supplying some to pharmacies. A case has also been confirmed at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Christ Church student Tyra Skinner, 20, contracted meningitis after going to the Club Chemistry nightclub, her parents said.

The UKHSA said around 2,500 doses of antibiotics had been administered across Kent. GPs across the country have been told to give antibiotics to anyone who visited the nightclub between March 5 and 7, plus students from the University of Kent. The UKHSA said antibiotics remained the most effective treatment.





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