A baby girl is critically ill in hospital with meningitis after an outbreak in Kent was declared a ‘national incident’.
Nine-month-old Nala-Rose Fletcher is in intensive care at Evelina London Children’s Hospital after falling ill, with doctors warning she will face ‘life-changing’ surgeries.
The infant, from Folkestone, became unwell on March 4 – just days before a cluster of meningitis cases emerged in Canterbury, although it is not currently known if the two cases are directly linked.
Despite being vaccinated, her parents Danielle Trott and Nick Fletcher say they still do not know which strain she has contracted and insist they had not been in Canterbury before she fell ill.
Her condition is currently stable, but her devastated parents say they are only just beginning to come to terms with the lasting impact of the disease.
In an emotional statement, they said: ‘Nothing can truly prepare you for the pain and fear that comes with what we’ve been living through, and are still living through,’ they said.
‘There have been moments that have felt utterly overwhelming, and at times desperately lonely. But you – all of you – have blown us away completely.
Juliette Kenny, 18, died on Saturday surrounded by her family after falling victim to meningitis
‘The kindness you’ve shown us, through your generosity and your words of support, has meant more than we can express.
‘Nala-Rose is still very poorly and remains in intensive care. We already know she will be left with lasting difficulties for the rest of her life, and that’s something we’re only beginning to come to terms with.
‘What your support does, more than anything, is remind us that we are not facing this alone. And right now, that means everything. Thank you, all of you, from the very bottom of our hearts.’
Her mother also issued a stark warning to other parents, writing: ‘Please don’t hesitate if you think your child may have this. Awful, nasty disease and time is EVERYTHING!!’
The baby’s illness comes as health officials battle what has been described as an ‘unprecedented’ and ‘rapidly developing’ outbreak of meningococcal meningitis in Kent.
So far, 15 cases have been confirmed – all requiring hospital treatment – with two deaths, including a University of Kent student and Juliette Kenny, a Year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham.
The outbreak has now spread beyond the UK, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting revealing that a linked case has been identified in France in a student who had attended the University of Kent.
He said: ‘This is an unprecedented outbreak. It is also a rapidly developing situation. My thoughts, and I’m sure the thoughts of the entire House, will be with the families and friends of those two young people who’ve sadly died.
‘I cannot begin to understand what they must be going through. This is an unprecedented outbreak. It is also a rapidly developing situation.’
With UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins saying: ‘This looks like a super-spreader event, with ongoing spread within the halls of residents in the universities.
‘There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing.
‘I can’t yet say where the initial infection came from, how it’s got into this cohort, and why it’s created such an explosive amount of infections.
‘I can say that in my 35 years working in medicine, in healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases I’ve seen in a single weekend with this type of infection.
‘It’s the explosive nature that is unprecedented here. The number of cases in such a short space of time.
‘NHS were initially managing it as a major incident in the region but they have now increased that overlay to having a national-level oversight as well.’
Students wear face masks outside the University of Kent today as they queue for antibiotics
Health officials say the strain behind the outbreak is meningitis B, known as MenB.
Routine vaccination against MenB was introduced for babies in 2015, meaning many older teenagers and young adults remain unprotected unless they have received the jab privately.
Hundreds of people are now being urged to take preventative antibiotics, with around 700 doses already administered to those thought to be at risk.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite said: ‘This is by far the quickest-growing outbreak I’ve ever seen in my career, and I think probably any of us have seen of meningitis for a very long time.
‘Whilst it remains an outbreak that is having its consequences in Kent, it is obviously of national significance.’
Public health investigators believe a number of those infected had visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury shortly before developing symptoms.
More than 2,000 people attended the nightclub across three nights – March 5, 6 and 7 – prompting a major effort to contact those who may have been exposed. The venue has since closed ‘until further notice’.
The outbreak has also been linked to a house party in Whitstable and cases have been identified at several schools, including Highworth Grammar in Ashford, where a Year 13 student has been admitted to hospital with suspected meningitis.
Four schools in total are now understood to be connected to the outbreak.
A targeted vaccination programme is set to begin within days for students living in halls at the University of Kent, where many are not already protected against MenB.
Wes Streeting said he has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to ‘re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines’, including whether older children should receive the MenB jab on the NHS.
He added he is ‘confident’ that the UK Health Security Agency acted ‘as quickly and comprehensively as possible’ after being notified of the first case on March 13, triggering urgent contact tracing.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrives at Downing Street this afternoon for a cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, pharmacies have warned of ‘significant vaccine supply constraints amid a surge in demand’, particularly from worried parents.
More than £3,000 has been raised to support Nala-Rose’s family through a JustGiving appeal set up by Dan Atkinson at Ramsgate-based Guildcrest Homes and its sister companies.
The fundraiser has attracted hundreds of donations and messages of support as the family remains by her bedside.
The UK Health Security Agency has been asked whether Nala-Rose’s case is linked to the wider outbreak but says it cannot comment on individual cases.
Despite growing concern, officials insist the overall risk to the wider public remains low and the outbreak is currently contained within Kent.
Warning signs of meningitis include a high temperature, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to light and unusual rashes, as well as extreme sleepiness or difficulty waking.
Health experts stress that urgent medical attention should be sought immediately if symptoms appear.
