Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said more people affected by a meningitis outbreak in Kent will get vaccines as the number of cases rose to 27.
Mr Streeting said more would get protection against meningitis B, which has been the strain affecting those who fell ill after visiting Club Chemistry in Canterbury.
He said anyone who attended the club from March 5 would be offered the jab, alongside sixth-formers at four schools and more university students in Canterbury.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that as of 5pm on Wednesday, 15 cases of meningitis have been confirmed and a further 12 are under investigation.
This takes the total to 27 cases of either confirmed or suspected meningitis, up from 20 on Wednesday. Two students have died in the outbreak.
Currently, nine of the 15 confirmed cases are known to be caused by menB.
On a visit to the University of Kent, Mr Streeting said: “We are now encouraging anyone who attended Club Chemistry from March 5 until it voluntarily closed to come forward for both antibiotics and vaccination.
“Furthermore, we’re expanding vaccination to anyone who’s previously been offered the prophylactic antibiotic.
“That will include a large number of students here at the University of Kent.
“And it will include some students at Canterbury Christchurch University.
“It will also includes sixth-formers at four schools where there are known or suspected cases.
“These are proportionate steps to help us contain spread and we’re keeping that situation under review.”
Eligible students at the University of Kent will have received an invite for vaccination.
— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) March 18, 2026
For wider information on the meningitis outbreak, read our blog post.
🔗 https://t.co/xhhIekjbUL pic.twitter.com/wJMS2KbOdR
Mr Streeting said the outbreak of meningitis “isn’t like Covid”, adding the risk to the general public is “extremely low”.
He said: “I also want to reassure people, that in terms of the way in which this infection and disease spreads, it is through close personal contact.
“We’ve got effective treatment through the antibiotic, we’ve got effective vaccination, which is up and running.
“All of those things taken together mean that the risks, even for students here in Canterbury, are relatively low.
“And, of course, the general public across the country, who are also watching with interest and concern, the risks to the general public is extremely low.”
Mr Streeting said it is “understandable” that people might be worried and said he expected cases to rise.
But he added: “The way in which this disease spreads is from close personal contact … this isn’t like Covid.”
It comes as Morrisons confirmed an employee who attended Club Chemistry has contracted meningitis.
A Morrisons spokesperson told the Press Association: “We can confirm that a colleague at our Sittingbourne distribution centre visited Club Chemistry and subsequently contracted meningitis.
“He is currently receiving treatment and we are in close touch with his family.
“We are following all government guidance, the site is operating as normal and we are continuing to monitor the situation closely.”
Elsewhere, a Kent University student said three people with meningitis are members of the cheerleading society there.
Olivia Parkins, 18, who is part of the cheerleading society at the University of Kent, told the Press Association there have been three confirmed cases within the society – all of whom are in hospital.
To date, thousands of doses of antibiotics have been handed out to those who attended Club Chemistry in Canterbury, alongside students living in halls at the Canterbury campus of the University of Kent.
The UKHSA said four schools in Kent have confirmed cases of meningitis, while the London animation and games school Escape Studios said one if its students had contracted meningitis who had links to Kent.
Earlier, Kent County Council’s director of public health Dr Anjan Ghosh told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it could not be said the outbreak has been contained.
“We’re not in the position yet to say that definitively, that it’s been contained,” he said.
“If you see the daily reporting that’s going on, there are more and more cases being reported, but these cases all relate more or less to that same period of time when the initial exposure happened.
“We are looking at what’s called secondary transmission, so that’s a case that’s then transmitted to another couple of people. We need to rule that out before we can say it’s definitely contained.”
Meningitis symptoms can develop quickly, so it’s important to act immediately if you spot them.
— NHS (@NHSuk) March 17, 2026
More info ➡️ https://t.co/FlXxJRTbqp pic.twitter.com/xUckcW0JNc
He added: “The main advice is there’s no reason to be anxious.
“This is a disease. It’s not Covid. It doesn’t spread the same way that Covid or measles spread.
“It spreads through close, protracted contact, intimate contact. It’s basically people in households, sharing cups, kissing, intimate contact, those kind of things…
“However, if people have signs of meningitis, then they need to act fast.”
Trish Mannes, UKHSA regional deputy director for the South East, said it is important students still come forward for antibiotics.
“If you have been offered preventative antibiotics, it is strongly recommended that you take them promptly,” she added.
“If you are a student at the University of Kent who is eligible but has since returned home, contact your local GP, who will be able to provide advice and prescribe the appropriate treatment.”
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said on Thursday “this is a very unusual outbreak”, adding experts were looking at why meningitis in these cases may have become more transmissible between people.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Prof May said: “Typically, you would expect to see sporadic cases of meningitis, typically individual patients.
🆕 It's been confirmed that some of the meningitis cases linked to Club Chemistry in Canterbury, Kent are MenB. pic.twitter.com/BWJK8uXqab
— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) March 17, 2026
“Most days, actually, we would see one in the UK. This is obviously a much larger number.
“What is particularly remarkable about this case, and unexpected about this case, is the large number of cases all originating from what seems to be a single event.
“There are two possible reasons for that. One is that there might be something about the kind of behaviours that individual people are doing.
“The other possibility is the bacteria itself may have evolved to be better at transmitting.”
Prof May said the bacteria which can cause meningitis can be transmitted by sharing utensils, cups and vapes.
He said: “This is a bacteria that is actually quite widespread.
“A large number of us carry this, about 10% of people my age, slightly higher in younger people, carry this bacteria at the back of their throat anyway, and obviously, the vast majority of us don’t have any problem with disease, but in some cases it can cause severe disease.
“It is transmitted by this relatively close contact.
“It’s transmitted by things like saliva and kissing in particular, but also sharing of utensils, sharing of cups or vapes or those kind of things.”
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