Meningitis outbreak: Total cases in Kent rise to 34

The number of meningitis cases following the outbreak in Kent has risen to 34, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

The total has risen from 29 on Thursday. It includes two - a 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a sixth form pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham - who died from the virus in Kent last weekend.

The local demand among university students for meningitis vaccines has been so high that some were turned away on Friday.

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On Saturday, more than 500 people joined a queue this morning at a clinic on the University of Kent campus.

The UKHSA said that as of Saturday morning, 23 laboratory cases of meningitis were confirmed and 11 cases "remain under investigation".

NHS Kent and Medway said that 7,060 vaccines had been administered, and 11,662 antibiotics had been handed out, as of 2.54pm on Saturday.

Dr Ben Rush, UKHSA consultant in Communicable Disease Control, said: "We continue to remain vigilant for new cases and work closely with NHS England and local authorities across the country to ensure enhanced surveillance is in place. Any new cases will be identified quickly and responded to.

"It's reassuring to have seen so many eligible young people come forward for antibiotics and vaccination and we'd like to thank everyone involved in this effort so far.

"It's vital that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops symptoms.

"The risk to the wider population remains low and UKHSA continues to work with partners to identify contacts and offer necessary treatment."

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Students queuing for jabs in Canterbury told the PA news agency that they had been waiting since 7am, and one said they had waited from around 5am.

Maria, who studies drama and theatre, said: "I think all of us are quite worried at the moment."

She added: "It's important to make sure we protect ourselves because obviously there's been some deaths and people in hospital."

People were seen more quickly than in previous days and the queue had dwindled to around 15 people by about 11am.

Kent County Council's director of public health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, speculated on three "rough" scenarios over the next four weeks.

At a briefing on Friday, he said the "most likely" scenario would see people travelling off campus outside Kent and then spreading the bacteria to others within a household.

The alternative scenarios would see cases remaining contained in Kent or, in a "highly unlikely" worst-case, the outbreak could result in another cluster outside the county.

It comes as St John Rigby Sixth Form College in Wigan said it was notified by the UKHSA that a student there had recently been reported as a suspected meningococcal case.

The college said in a statement: "We would like to reassure you that we have acted quickly and there is only one suspected case at the college.

"Health agencies have completed contact tracing and there is no known connection to the situation in Kent."

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