Students queuing to receive vaccines and antibiotics at the University of Kent campus in Canterbury. Photograph: PA WireThe number of cases linked to the meningitis outbreak in Kent, England has risen to 34, up from 29 previously, as hundreds of students queued for a third day to get vaccinated. Some 23 cases have been confirmed alongside a further 11 cases that “remain under investigation”, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in an update on Saturday morning. Eighteen of the 23 confirmed cases are meningitis B. NHS Kent and Medway said 5,794 vaccines had been administered, and 11,010 antibiotics handed out, in Kent as of Friday evening.

Source: The Irish Times March 21, 2026 23:14 UTC