Published: 18 March 2026
Public Health Wales is advising students who lived in campus accommodation at the University of Kent or visited Club Chemistry nightclub between 5-7 March and who have returned home to Wales, to contact their GP for preventative antibiotics.
As the outbreak of meningococcal disease in the Canterbury area continues, Public Health Wales is working with partners including the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to identify people associated with the incident.
Advice from the UKHSA is for anyone who visited Club Chemistry between 5 and 7 March and to University of Kent students to be prescribed preventative antibiotics.
Public Health Wales is aware that some students may have returned home to Wales from the university – these students should contact their GP straight away to obtain a prescription for antibiotics if they were not able to receive these before returning to Wales.
Wendi Shepherd, Deputy Director of Health Protection at Public Health Wales, said:
“Our thoughts are with everyone involved with the meningitis outbreak in Kent, and we extend our sympathies to those affected.
“We are working with our partners at the UK Health Security Agency, who are managing the incident.
“As students from the University of Kent return home, it is important that they access preventative antibiotics if eligible, both to protect themselves and to prevent any transmission to others. We are working with UKHSA to identify people who may be eligible for vaccination.”
Vaccination is a key way of protecting against meningococcal disease. Children born on or after 1 September 2015, they will have been offered a vaccination against meningitis B as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme.
A vaccination against meningitis types A, C, W and Y is offered to young people at around 13/14 years of age (school year nine), but a catch-up vaccination can be given up until the age of 25. Your GP can give more information if you or your child missed the vaccination at the time.
Vaccination does not protect against all strains of meningitis, so it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis, as it can rapidly worsen. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can significantly improve outcomes.