There have been no new cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent reported, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
As of 12.30pm on Sunday, 20 cases have been confirmed, with a further nine under investigation – no change on the previous day, the UKHSA said in a statement on Monday morning.
It comes after Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, praised the “Herculean efforts” to protect people and officials warned on Friday of the potential for “sporadic” household clusters to appear in other parts of the country.
A UKHSA spokeswoman said: “Whilst we expect some further probable cases to be downgraded in the coming days, this outbreak is not yet over.
“As we go into this week, we remain fully committed to ensuring people receive the advice and treatment they need to stay safe.”
Following further testing of samples, the total number of cases has dropped from 34 on Saturday.
It's been one week since the first meningitis B case was confirmed in Kent.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) March 22, 2026
Thank you to everyone involved in dealing with the outbreak.
Anyone with symptoms should call NHS 111 or in an emergency, phone 999.
Read: https://t.co/rZETmYRZgt pic.twitter.com/kANm32r0AL
East Kent Colleges (EKC) Group sent out a letter to all parents and carers informing them that a college student was being treated for a suspected case of meningitis on Friday, and published the letter on its website on Sunday.
Mr Streeting offered his condolences to the families of the two students who have died in the outbreak and said his thoughts are with those in hospital “fighting this terrible disease”.
He said in the statement on Sunday: “It has been an incredibly difficult week for those affected and for those working on the frontline response to this outbreak.
“As we look ahead to another challenging week, I wanted to pay tribute to the Herculean efforts of everyone who has worked tirelessly to care for those affected and keep people safe.”
The Health Secretary thanked UKHSA officials and NHS teams, as well as school, college and university staff, and the “thousands of students, pupils and other members of the public who have so readily and responsibly come forward for antibiotics and vaccination”.
It came after dozens of eligible people, including students, queued up again around the county for the menB vaccine or antibiotics, although numbers in the lines have dropped considerably since the rollout began on Wednesday.
The two students who have died are 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who was described by her family as “fit, healthy and strong” before her death, and a University of Kent student.
