Arabic version: عائلة كينت تحزن بعد وفاة ابنتها بسبب التهاب السحايا
A family in Kent is mourning the loss of their daughter, Juliette, who died from meningitis on Saturday. The 18-year-old was a sixth form pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. Her father expressed that the family is “beyond devastated” and has “no words to express their loss.” According to BBC News, Juliette’s death is part of an outbreak of invasive meningitis that has also affected 11 others in the Canterbury area.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified meningitis B (menB) as the strain responsible for the outbreak. Meningitis B is the most common cause of meningococcal meningitis in the UK, but routine vaccinations for this strain were only introduced in 2015. Consequently, many in the current generation of students and young adults are not vaccinated against it.
Amelia McIlroy, head teacher at Juliette’s school, described her as “a genuinely caring and attentive listener, a true friend who listened with warmth, respect and sincere interest to her peers and to our staff.”
In response to the outbreak, students at the University of Kent have been receiving precautionary antibiotics. The UKHSA has contacted over 30,000 individuals in Canterbury, highlighting the outbreak’s “particularly large” and “unprecedented in recent years” scale. Health officials are urging anyone who may have been affected to seek antibiotic treatment. The outbreak is believed to be linked to a nightclub event at Club Chemistry on 5, 6 or 7 March, and health officials are encouraging attendees to come forward for preventive care.
Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam from the UKHSA stated that the response to the outbreak has been swift, with local public health teams promptly identifying contacts who would benefit from preventative antibiotics. The university campus remains open, although all scheduled assessments for the upcoming days have been canceled. Antibiotics will also be available at various local clinics for those in need.
