The number of confirmed meningitis cases linked to an outbreak in Kent has risen to 13 since 13 March, health officials have confirmed, with a third school now reporting an affected pupil.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the figure includes two people who have since died. One of the deceased, named as Juliette, was a pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, with the school’s headteacher confirming her identity. The second fatality was a student at the University of Kent in Canterbury.
A further case has been confirmed at Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford, where a Year 13 pupil is currently hospitalised with meningitis. Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys has also announced a pupil has been diagnosed, making it the third school in the area to report a case.
Trish Mannes, regional deputy director for the South East at the UKHSA, urged anyone experiencing potential symptoms not to delay in seeking medical advice, either through their GP or by calling NHS 111.
