Name: Two people dead after meningitis outbreak in Kent, England | BBC News
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Hundreds of students are queuing for antibiotics this lunchtime following a meningitis outbreak in Canterbury.

A year 13 pupil named by her teacher as Juliet and a 21 year old from the University of Kent have died.

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Eleven others remain seriously ill in hospital.

The UK Health Security Agency has contacted 30,000 people in the area to warn of the sharp increase in cases.

Well, our correspondent Simon Jones is at the University of Kent this lunchtime.

Well, if you want a sense of just how anxious students are feeling here this lunchtime, just take a look at the queues.

Hundreds of people have turned up throughout the course of the morning hoping to get hold of antibiotics as a preventative measure.

The university had recommended people living in two specific halls of residence on site should come here as a matter of urgency.

But many more have turned up and some towns me once they get hold of any drugs after that they will head straight home back to their parents because they don't want to remain on site.

The emotions being felt here shared by a school down the road in Faversham where a year 13 pupil has lost her life.

She's called Juliet, described by her headteacher as kind and inspirational.

Now, the UK Health Security Agency says it's working with the university here and with the school.

Hundreds of concerned students have been queuing since this morning in Canterbury for antibiotics after news emerged of the meningitis outbreak that has claimed two lives.

Thirteen cases were confirmed between Friday and Sunday.

One of those who's died is a student at the University of Kent.

The other is a year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Faversham.

She's been named by the school as Juliet, described as a much loved member of the devastated community.

She was a genuinely caring and attentive listener, a true friend who listened with warmth, respect and sincere interest to her peers and to our staff.

Her beautiful smile, her loving nature and her sense of fun will be hugely missed.

11 other people are seriously unwell in hospital.

The UK Health Security Agency says they're investigating a rapidly evolving cluster of cases in the Canterbury area, most aged between 18 and 21.

We've been informed that we've been in contact with someone, so we're going to get the antibiotic help to prevent it, but

we're staying positive, like we haven't had any symptoms or anything and she's in hospital getting treated, so she's okay.

I've come along because we just want to take precaution.

If I show any symptoms, I want to take the antibiotics.

I've just been in my room the whole time, so I don't really know what's actually going on, but

from what I'm seeing, it's kind of serious.

One of those who's fallen ill had been at Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury at the weekend.

The club's owner says it'll be closed until further notice.

Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord and although uncommon, can cause cause life threatening sepsis and permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

It's not known which strain of bacterial meningitis this outbreak is, but

it's spread by close contact among those who are infected.

An outbreak such as this can cause real devastation and fear in a campus community and way beyond thinking about the people who may be affected.

It underlines really quite starkly just the importance of people knowing about how to prevent meningitis through vaccine vaccination, but

These symptoms can often present similar to a hangover or flu.

They include high fever, headache, a stiff neck and sensitivity to light.

Some of the other signs include drowsiness and a skin rash which doesn't disappear when you press down with a glass.

Around 30,000 people in the area are being contacted by the UK Health Security Agency.

Anyone with any symptoms is advised to seek urgent medical help.

Club Chemistry in Canterbury has closed after the UK Health Security Agency confirmed at least one of its customers has been diagnosed with meningitis.

Our correspondent Nick Johnson is there now.

So what precautions are being taken there?

This is the club in question, Club Chemistry, a three floor nightclub in an industrial estate just by the station here in Canterbury.

It's been in the city for almost 40 years, but

the owner last night said she was contacted by the UK Health Security Agency initially over a direct message on social media to say that one person who'd been here had contracted meningitis.

And we're led to believe that that student was here on the Saturday beforehand, sort of Saturday the 6th of March.

And the owner of the nightclub here says that 95 of her staff members here now have had to go and take preventative antibiotics.

The UK Health Security Agency said that told her that there was no reason at this stage for the club to close its doors.

The owners said she's taken the decision to avoid what she says any more heartbreak or any more illnesses on her conscience.

Well, our health correspondent Dominic Hughes joins us in Salford this lunchtime.

We know that tens of thousands of people have been contacted.

What sort of medical advice are they being given?

So the UK Health Security Agency is going to be doing quite a lot of work at the moment.

The first thing, contacting of all these people.

They'll be trying to isolate who are the main contacts, who's had close contact with those who are already ill.

And in the same way that they did when we had Covid, for example, trying to work out who are the people who are most at risk of falling ill, they're also going to be spreading that message about the symptoms, to look out for the sort of things that Lauren was talking about in her report.

Things like a high temperature or fever, a stiff neck, sensitivity to bright lights, maybe even drowsiness or unresponsiveness.

Now, the problem is that sometimes those symptoms can be mistaken for a cold or flu or even a hangover.

So they're saying to students, particularly if you have a friend in your flat or in your hall of residence who's not feeling very well, do keep an eye on them.

Because the problem is these symptoms can look like other things, but

if it's treated quickly, it can be very, very well treated, but it can develop very fast.

Now, just before we came on air, we had an update from the UK Health Security Agency.

So let's have a listen to what they had to say.

Well, we are very concerned about this current outbreak because it is extremely unusual and we know that meningococcal disease can be extremely severe.

And tragically, during this particular outbreak, we have seen already two people that have lost their lives, with a further 11 people who are seriously unwell in hospital.

It's important, though, to note that meningococcal disease is actually incredibly rare in this country, thanks to the success of our vaccine vaccination program.

But we do sometimes see these sorts of incidents occurring and that's why it's so important that we respond as quickly as possible.

So, as you can see, the Health Security Agency very concerned.

To put it into perspective, though, for the wider community in Kent, the risk is actually pretty low, but

for those who are affected by it, it's pretty serious.